Rock art and cultural heritage law in Zimbabwe

This research addresses the San’s human right to access land and develop inclusive economic activities through tourism in Hwange national park in Zimbabwe. The project focuses specifically on recording and using cultural heritage as evidence of ancestral settlement and inclusive economic development in the national parks. The San have been exposed to land evictions dating back 2000 years ago when agriculturalists displaced them. Dispossession continued in the colonial period when their lands were appropriated to create national parks and private farms for colonial administrators. Unfortunately, evictions still exist after independence when new economic developments are being pursued such as tourism and mining.This research addresses the San’s human right to access land and develop inclusive economic activities through tourism in two national parks: Hwange in Zimbabwe and Chobe in Botswana. The project focuses specifically on recording and using cultural heritage as evidence of ancestral settlement and inclusive economic development in the national parks. The San have been exposed to land evictions dating back 2000 years ago when agriculturalists displaced them. Dispossession continued in the colonial period when their lands were appropriated to create national parks and private farms for colonial administrators. Unfortunately, evictions still exist after independence when new economic developments are being pursued such as tourism and mining. Combining law, archaeology and tourism, this project seeks to document the San’s cultural heritage in the national parks as evidence to support land claims and inclusive tourism.