Statement from the Community Leaders Network and Resource Africa Following KAZA Summit 2024
The Community Leaders Network and Resource Africa recently attended the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Summit held in Livingstone, Zambia.
During the summit, presenters unanimously noted the glaring absence of local communities. A more befitting gesture would have been to at least invite Chief Mukuni to open the summit, symbolising true community involvement and respect. This oversight highlights the need for KAZA to engage more effectively through the established national networks and the Community Leaders Network to improve relations with local communities.
We call upon KAZA and all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to community empowerment and to develop robust mechanisms for meaningful community engagement. It is imperative that local communities are not merely beneficiaries but active partners in the planning and implementation of conservation and development projects. True success will only be realised when the voices and aspirations of local people are at the heart of all initiatives.