Thaba Tseka, 14 October 2022
Herders in Thaba-Tseka affirm full support towards range management
Over 80 herders in the Senqunyane Priority Sub-Catchment in Thaba-Tseka pledged their full commitment and support towards protecting the rangeland areas after being equipped with knowledge and information on the importance of the rangelands during the range management awareness campaigns at Ha- Dinizulu, Ha-Ts’iu and Ha-Koporala.
These awareness initiatives were conducted collectively with the presentations from ReNOKA and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), and the technical support of the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation.
ReNOKA as a national ICM programme aims to support and assist the land users on how to apply long-term best practices on protecting the natural resources, which encompasses a commitment from the community to conserve rangelands.
As custodians and major users of water and land in Lesotho, the engagement of the herders in natural resources management contributes significantly to the management and protection of land and water, particularly the rangelands where the herders sometimes turn to, as the grazing areas for their animals.
The discussions with the herders and the community members touched on how improving the rangelands could provide a productive land for farming and forage for livestock.
Expressing their views, the herders appreciated the dialogues and urged for more sessions with the other communities as they believe this will prevent and resolve the social conflicts over usage and management of natural resources. They then affirmed their full cooperation in improving their rangelands and supporting the development interventions implemented in their areas.
The grazing management controls like rotation, avoiding grazing animals at the wetlands and on other protected sites like where shrubs have been removed were therefore agreed on.
The workshop received a full support from stakeholders including the Dinizulu Herders Association, the Lesotho Defence Force, Lesotho Mounted Police Service as well as the community leaders.
The LHDA and ReNOKA in Senqunyane have been joining hands in several community engagements and rangeland rehabilitation measures.
