Mozambique's Conservation Conundrum: Who Gets the Land?

Mozambique dismissed the managers of the Muthemba and Gaza Safari concessions this week. Authorities also opened investigations into alleged wildlife offences and blocked community roads. The moves look like a local administrative cleanup on the surface. They touch a deeper question: how does Mozambique govern the land it has set aside for wildlife and tourism?

Conservation in Mozambique is not a pure wildlife play. Concessions are supposed to draw investment, create jobs, generate tourism revenue, and protect biodiversity. The same landscapes hold communities that have farmed, grazed livestock, and travelled between villages for generations. When a concession manager blocks a public road, the government is right to step in. Protected areas cannot become private fiefdoms where neighbours lose access to schools, markets, or clinics. Wildlife is a national asset. So is freedom of movement.

The problem is the other side of the same coin. Investors need to know disputes will follow transparent procedures, not sudden political intervention. Tourism and conservation projects demand long-term capital and patient management. If operators conclude their standing depends on political winds as much as on compliance with the law, Mozambique risks scaring off the very investment it says it wants.

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