“national park or game reserve in Africa as a colonial relic struggling to adjust to a postcolonial reality” (5)
Mavhunga reasserts critiques of top-down development writing that “development continues to be for them, but not with them” and that the “partnership” between rich and poor countries, politicians and “their” people, (non)governmental organizations and villagers, overseas and local universities, and the university and communities, becomes merely a partnership between a rider and a horse, the one enjoying the ride and directing the itinerary, the other shouldering the burden and doing as ordered (Mavhunga 2007b).
“This is why development, conservation, technology, and innovation projects fail, not only in Africa or the global south, but universally. The view of partnership as a relationship between “us” as riders and ordinary people as horses also forecloses a view to ordinary people as creative beings in their own right.” (relevant for the collaboration doc as well). (7)
