Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Horses - Economic aspects - Lesotho'

The research set out to explore the nature of challenges in distribution of old age pensions in Lesotho. Poor institutional capacity failed the implementing agency, the Department of Pensions; to set up competent administrative structures to run run the pensions effectively and efficiently. A number of challenges have been identified, some of which were: inadequate supervision of the paying officers, fraud by workers and community agents, missing funds, insufficient resources, inadequate administrative capacity, overworked employees, faulty targeting, soft and discriminatory approach to non-compliance with rules and multiple use of identity documents by recipients. On the other hand, a number of opportunities have been identified to counteract the challenges. The main recommendation of the study was the engagement of mobile phone-based money transfer facilities to transfer the old age pensions from the government to the recipients. The Department of Pensions should make use of baseline database like information from civil registration agency like the Ministry of Home Affairs to confirm the validity of the pension recipients. Other recommendations included moving the division of old age pensions from the Pensions Department to the Ministry of Social Development which is the controlling body for other forms of social grants in Lesotho. The Ministry of Social Development is regarded as well equipped with qualified staff and facilities to deal with vulnerable people like the elderly.

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006<br>The demand for continuing reform to technical and vocational education system and its products and services had been inevitable. The challenge for both the Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Lerotholi Polytechnic had been to develop strategies, which would enable both economic and social goals to be realized. However, it had been a major concern that the present training system had been having some limitations and the Government’s investments in technical and vocational education produced un-healthy results and returns. The private sector had a poor few of the quality and relevance of the training offered by the public technical institutions; more specifically the Lerotholi Polytechnic, and majority of the labour market had been reluctant to employ the graduates from the institution. If quality assurance and relevance prevailed the private sector would send their employees, supervisors and managers for skills upgrading to the Lerotholi Polytechnic. The Government of Lesotho could promote its economic growth and poverty alleviation objectives if the existing tailored training substantiated to impact on the socio-economic development. The study was intended to investigate the impact of the Lerotholi Polytechnic programmes on the socio-economic development on Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district. The premises lied upon access to the Lerotholi Polytechnic technical and vocational education programmes, relevance of these programmes towards socioeconomic development, their quality assurance for the contribution towards the socioeconomic development and the training and learning strategies employed in the Lerotholi Polytechnic. Management issues such as planning, control and coordination also had to be envisaged with respect to the legal framework of technical and vocational education. Both the Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Lerotholi Polytechnic formed the sample population whose responses had been triangulated in the quest for the imperative epistemic of the impact of technical and vocational education on the socio-economic development of Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district. Results had been presented and findings acknowledged. Recommendations had been advocated for the better functioning of the Lerotholi Polytechnic programmes in the contribution towards socio-economic development of Lesotho with special reference to Maseru district.

Informed by the political economy framework and the public service role of media in democracy, the main objective of the study was to use in-depth semi-structured interviews to understand news-workers’ professional journalistic identities in relation to their status as government employees and the understanding of their public service role as outlined in the paper’s mission statement. The main interest was to understand the complexity of negotiating these role identities. Through reference to the theories of journalism professionalism, the study highlighted the extent to which news-workers in the small newsroom of Lentsoe la Basotho/Lesotho Today see themselves as public service journalists in a democratic country. The interest was borne partly out of the views of the paper’s critics who see it as not serving the public but rather promoting the activities and policies of the government of the day, thus falling short of its democratic role. The contention of the study was that as a public service newspaper, the paper should have news-workers who do impartial journalism and reflect the public’s right to know in their reporting. The findings of the study suggests that news-workers at Lentsoe la Basotho/Lesotho Today continuously have to strive to negotiate the potential conflict between being a professional and working for a government-controlled newspaper. While they sometimes lay claim to being journalists, the reality is that in their political coverage they end up adopting the role of government mouthpieces.

Lesotho has a land area of about 30.340 square kilometers and is completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Much of the country is mountainous. Its agricultural sector is characterized by low productivity due to erratic climatic conditions, limited arable land and fragile soils with a low water holding capacity. These conditions have proved very detrimental to crop production, rendering agriculture a risky economic activity. Numerous efforts have been made over the years to address the technical constraints confronting the sector, but nothing seems to be changing. The implication is that the technical/climatic factors mentioned above may be only part of the problem. The current situation whereby Lesotho imports nearly 95% of its domestic food requirements is unsustainable, but this desperate picture looks set to worsen with the continuing threats of contracting farm sizes and further declines in farmer participation rates. But this sector has continued to be an important source of household survival and existence. A study was designed and conducted during 2008 and 2009 to identify the institutional constraints to horticulture production in Lesotho, looking specifically at the obstacles to effective production and marketing of horticultural products. A total of 100 farming households were enumerated in four districts of the country, namely Butha Buthe, Berea, Mafeteng, and Thaba-Tseka. A range of institutional and non-price factors in the farming and marketing environment were incorporated in a binary choice model to investigate the degree of satisfaction of the farming households with their previous year’s farming results. To avoid selection bias in the sample, a probit model was chosen, and the Stata-10 software was used to estimate probit coefficients. The results provide indications that property rights, the agricultural extension service, the condition of the physical infrastructure, and distance to markets may be crucial elements threatening the existence of this sector in Lesotho. The difficulties in accessing markets and land remain important institutional constraints to horticulture production and marketing in Lesotho. Recommendations made on these issues include providing more policy support to homestead gardening and for these issues to be incorporated into the Vision 2020 process. Also to be included is the issue of addressing the growing national food insecurity and enhancing Basotho livelihoods in general.

This study investigated rural livelihoods in two contrasting environments in the upper and lower reaches of the Gariep River: Sehlabathebe in the Lesotho highlands, and the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, and how these have changed over time. Livelihoods were examined using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework in conjunction with the household development cycle. This study therefore adopted a multi-scale approach, where a micro-level household analysis was framed within the macro level social, political, environmental, economic and institutional context, while taking into account the role of temporal scale of livelihood change. A multi-scale approach facilitated the identification of the major drivers of change, both exogenous and endogenous. The combination of livelihood strategies pursued differed between the two sites. Households in Sehlabathebe are reliant mainly on arable and garden cultivation, livestock in some households, occasional remittances, use of wild resources, petty trading and reliance on donations. Households in the Richtersveld relied primarily on livestock, wage labour, use of wild resources and State grants or pensions. The livelihood strategies pursued in each site have not changed markedly over time, but rather the relative importance of those strategies was found to have changed. The assets available to households, the livelihood strategies adopted and the changes in these livelihood strategies are influenced by a households stage in the development cycle and differing macro-level factors. Drivers of change operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and are often complex and interrelated. The major drivers of livelihood change were identified as macro-economic, demographic, institutional and social and climatic. This study highlights the importance of using historical analysis in the study of livelihoods, as well as the complexity and diversity of rural livelihoods. Ecosystem goods and services were found to play a fundamental role in rural livelihoods and are influenced by institutional factors. Rural households are heavily reliant on the formal economy, and macro-economic changes have had a significant impact on livelihoods. This is highlighted by how the drastic decline in migrant labour opportunities for households in Sehlabathebe has negatively affected them. Vulnerability was shown to be a result of external shocks and trends, such as institutional transformation, a decline in employment opportunities, theft and climatic variation; and differed between the two sites. The role of institutional breakdown was shown to be a major factor influencing rural livelihoods, and this is related to broader economic and political changes. This study contributes to the growing literature on rural livelihoods by allowing for an appreciation of how differing environments and contextual factors influence livelihood strategies adopted, and which different factors are driving change.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The level of unemployment in Lesotho has reached an alarming rate and this situation is compounded by massive mine retrenchments (Central Bank of Lesotho, 2001: 22). Given this background, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of the career life histories of retrenched Basotho migrant labourers in order to explain their perceptions/attitudes regarding education. In-depth individual interviews with 26 retrenched mineworkers were conducted for collecting data and a grounded theory approach was followed in analysing the data. The life histories of the men were critically investigated, from the time before they were employed in the mines, to the stage when they were working in the mining industries. The enquiry continued to a stage when they were retrenched from the mines. Their lives after retrenchment were looked at to establish whether they had acquired skills whilst they were employed in the mines. The objective was to determine whether the skills acquired were useful to them after retrenchment and if they could secure them employment in other sectors of the economy besides the mines. The study revealed that most of the migrant labourers had not acquired other skills besides those that were offered in the mines. As a result, all of the men were unemployed becausethey lacked skills that were relevant to the economy of Lesotho. Retrenched migrant labourers reported that education was important, especially for their children. For them, they indicated that they could pursue education if they would be employed in the mines again of it is offered where they would be employed, on the job training. The question is whether these men will secure employment in other sectors in Lesotho given that they lack relevant skills. It is advisable, therefore, for the government of Lesotho to facilitate career guidance in the country to encourage these men to acquire marketable skills and to promote employment creation.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die werkloosheidsyfer in Lesotho het 'n ontstellende vlak bereik en hierdie situasie word vererger deur massiewe afdankings by die myne (Central Bank of Lesotho, 2001: 22). Dit is dus noodsaaklik, gegee hierdie agtergrond dat 'n beter begrip van die beroepsgeskiedenisse van afgedankte Basotho trekarbeiders omskryf word om hulle persepsies/houdings jeens opvoeding vas te stel. Daar is individuele in-diepte onderhoude gevoer met 26 afgedankte mynwerkers om data in te samel en 'n gegronde teorie aanslag is gevolg in die analise van die data. Die lewensgeskiedenisse van die mans is krities ondersoek, vanaf die tydperk wat hulle in diens geneem is in die myne tot hulle indiensneming in die mynindustrieë. Die ondersoek sluit ook die afdankings periode in. Hulle lewens na afdanking is ook ondersoek om vas te stelof hulle vaardighede tydens hulle diens in die myne aangeleer het. Die doelstelling hiermee was om vas te stelof die aangeleerde vaardighede indiensname in ander sektore kon verseker na hulle afgedank is. Die studie toon dat die meeste trekarbeiders nie enige ander vaardighede aangeleer het as wat hulle in die myne gebruik het nie. Dit het daartoe gelei dat hulle nie geskik is vir werk in ander sektore aangesien hulle nie oor relevante vaardighede beskik nie. Afgedankte trekarbeiders het aangedui dat opvoeding belangrik is, veral vir hulle kinders. Hulle het wel aangedui dat hulle verdere opleiding sou wou ontvang indien hulle weer in diens geneem word of as deel van in-diens opleiding. Die kwessie is egter of hierdie mans in ander sektore in diens geneem sal word aangesien hulle nie oor die nodige vaardighede beskik nie. Dit word dus aanbeveel dat die Lesotho regering beroepsleiding te fasiliteer om hierdie mans aan te moedig om bemarkbare vaardighede te kry as ook om werkverskaffing aan te moedig.

M.A. (Anthropology)<br>Though the association of the "BaSotho" with the horse is a commonplace one, thus far very few anthropological studies of the subject have been undertaken. The "BaSotho" to horse relation has been clouded by the idealised Western perception of the horse as symbol of power, vitality and freedom. What further clouds the issue is the simplistic image people have of the "BaSotho" as "traditional horsemen". For an objective understanding of the contemporary "BaSotho"/horse relationship it is necessary to focus on both the general Western perception of the horse and on the reasons for this outlook, as well as on the historical background to the use of the horse in Lesotho ...

Large-scale water project development is one of the most contentious areas of infrastructure development, physically displacing an estimated 40 to 80 million people throughout the past century. Overwhelming evidence of the adverse socio-economic impacts on local communities resulting from large dam construction has called into question whether such development truly benefits the majority or, rather, serves to promote elite accumulation of wealth at the expense of marginalized peoples. One of the most glaring issues concerning large dam development is the age-old question of distribution as those living in dam areas or downstream of dammed rivers suffer a disproportionate share of costs while enjoying few benefits. Recognized by the WCD (2000) as one of seven strategic priorities in decision-making concerning large dams, benefit sharing is one way to increase equity among stakeholders. A handful of countries around the world have incorporated benefit sharing mechanisms into large-scale water and hydroelectric projects, including Lesotho. With construction of Katse Dam beginning in the late 1980s, residents of Khohlo-Ntso have a quarter of a century’s experience with Africa’s second largest water transfer and hydroelectric project, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). While the adverse impacts of the LHWP on rural highlands Basotho communities has been widely documented, only one other study has researched benefit sharing within the LHWP. The central aim of this study was to discover what were local residents’ perceptions of LHWP benefit sharing as a community living only 10 kilometers downstream of Katse Dam. This research utilized a qualitative case study design to gain an in-depth account of local residents’ experiences, including their level of awareness of the LHWP benefit sharing mechanism, their experiences as a downstream community and their suggestions for transforming the LHWP into a more equitable project. Triangulation of qualitative methodological research techniques was employed to collect data including in-depth semi-structured interviews, focus groups and primary document analysis. The main findings of this study were that after living with Katse Dam for 25 years, local residents of Khohlo-Ntso are still unaware of their rights under the LHWP Treaty, do not know about the LHRF and have little hope of sharing benefits of the project.

M.Com. (Economics)<br>Although, approximately 80 percent of Lesotho’s population is dependent on agriculture, its grain output has continued to decline in absolute and relative terms. Average yields per hectare of maize are estimated to have dropped by 42 percent in 2006/07. It seems maize production is randomly and systematically impeded to change from subsistence to commercialised production - aimed at producing market surpluses according to principles and motives vested in specific abilities and formalised in law. Agriculture’s contribution to GDP is approximately 16 percent. In order to address poverty, the trend should be reversed. In a complete study, all the possible contributions, including costs and benefits for agriculture, the significance of impediments in Lesotho will be investigated. This study, examines risk impact on agriculture production, income and returns. It is standard to assume economic related factors underlie an inability to produce satisfactory and sustainable agricultural production. This study tests the significance of such an assumption. This paper proposes that the ground for such an assumption, one of underlying economic factors being instrumental in an inability to commercialise maize production, will be evident in the source of economic risk and pricing. Product price premiums, as measures in off-setting systematic economic and portfolio risk, are reviewed. Self-insurance and diversification are key instruments in managing the systematic and specific risk facing the agricultural sector in general, and maize production specifically. If collaboration prevails along with partial compensation and/or diversification for risk, then economic risk may not be the only factor preventing surplus maize production, or the only supporting factor or commercial motive in maximising returns through maize production. The finding of the study is that economics in general and economic risk are not significant impediments to the commercialisation of maize production. This study is different from other research in this field in that it moves away from the standard assumption that economic factors are central in impeding commercial agricultural production research has also to be focused on factors autonomous of the economy but which effect economic outcomes like cultural impediments in developing economies like Lesotho. The study indicates, by analysing the higher moments (economic risk) of the stochastic nature in economics as a specific attempt to prevent any ambiguousness, that economic decisions are to a great extend motivated by factors other than economic factors in many instances in great and in increasing conflict with economic principles. This founds a motivation for a shift in focus and is the study’s contribution to research in this field. It also contributes to the on-going debate in South Africa as to the problems and underlying factors in the commercialisation of subsistence agricultural production in South Africa.

There is a general perception that fertility has been declining over a decade in Lesotho, and this has sparked the debate that fertility transition is drawing closer in Lesotho. The growing concern was stimulated by limited studies showing the effect of socio-economic factors on fertility in Lesotho and variations in proximate determinants. The paper examines recent fertility trends in Lesotho using various demographic techniques of fertility estimation and determines whether the onset of fertility transition has begun in Lesotho. The secondary aim is to assess and control errors in the Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey of 2004, thus providing robust and reliable estimates. The analysis utilizes the secondary data from 2004 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS). The data set comprised of a sample of 7095 women who participated in the survey. The use of 1996 Lesotho Population Census and 2002 Lesotho Reproductive and Health Survey were made to facilitate comparison with 2004 LDHS, and to provide differentials and measure changes over time in fertility. The P/F ratio method developed by Brass and the modified version, Relational Gompertz Model are employed and used to assess the quality of data as well as determining fertility levels and trends. The findings reveal that the overall fertility among women in Lesotho during 2004 LDHS is 4.02. Application of different methods depicts that fertility remains high in Lesotho, although considered moderate according to sub-Saharan standards. Despite the fact that TFR is high, overall fertility decline is evident. The estimates of fertility range between 3.5 and 5.6 depending on the technique in use. The reason for the high observed fertility is that women in the rural areas still cherish quite a substantial family size. Nevertheless, changing acceptance and perception of using contraception, delayed marriage, high levels of education and economic development among women in Lesotho contributes considerably to fertility declines in Lesotho. As a result, disparities that continue to propel fertility levels within population groups incite reassessment of existing research and policy so as to enhance development strategies as well as action programmes.<br>Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, 2011.

In the Kingdom of Lesotho, large dams are currently being constructed with the sole purpose of selling water to the Republic of South Africa, in order to earn royalties and to generate electricity for Lesotho. The focus of this study was to investigate the perception of the community on the socio-environmental impacts of Metolong Dam and Reservoir in Lesotho. A qualitative research methodology was adopted and grounded theory was used in collecting data from the study area. Qualitative research techniques used were document analysis, field notes and semi-structured interviews. After conducting an audit which evaluated the accuracy of the initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by comparing actual to predict impacts, it was found that the perceptions of the community on the socio-economic impacts of Metolong project were: the community had poor education due to expensive school fees and their level of education did not help with dynamics on climate for they are complex and not easily to be understood, alcoholism existed due to unemployement, cultural constraints existed dominated by the patriarchal structures on the land and decision making, compensation policy was not honoured by project developers, the project brought benefits and loss of life-support resources, people are unable to grow wheat, beans and peas for their fields are taken and the community experienced loss of building sand that is not addressed. Information obtained helped the study to close the gap which appears not to have been addressed by the Government of Lesotho Department of Water Affairs Lowlands Water Supply Unit, 2008. Results of the study revealed that local villagers in the study area were happy with the project benefits, but they were discontented with the project as they were not incoporated in the management and supervision of the project. Rather, the local villagers were engaged only as labourers. The study recommends that when large dams are constructed, local villages should not be given promises that are dressed with many enticing commitments. The reason is that, communities never asked for the project, but it is set forth authoritatively as obligatory upon them. Project authorities should increase their efforts to fulfil promises made. Not only that, they should have respect, compassion, care and dedication when dealing with affected people. It is in this regard that the Local Based Project Execution and Observation Model is proposed, which will incorporate local villagers in the management steps of all large dam developments within their communities, in order to contend with environmental impacts of large dams.<br>Environmental Sciences<br>Ph. D. (Environmental Management)

Nation-building has always been considered the responsibility of a public service broadcaster while, on the other hand, commercial broadcasters are associated with profitmaking. This study was designed to investigate whether a commercially driven broadcasting venture could be used for the purposes of nation-building; The case of Lesotho Television. Established by the Lesotho Government in partnership with M-net, Lesotho Television informs, educates and entertains, thus attempting to follow the tenets of public service broadcasting. Upon its establishment in 1988, Lesotho Television was mandated to contribute in the nation-building initiatives of the Lesotho leaders. The station, which is embedded within the South African based pay-channel M-Net, was expected to positively contribute in the Lesotho Government's endeavours to re-build the nation divided along political lines. In the discussion I highlight the fact that Lesotho Television encounters some problems due to the paradoxical relationship between it and M-Net (The former aspiring to serve as a public service broadcaster while the latter is a commercial television service). Nevertheless, considering its programming and activities, Lesotho Television contributes in nation-building. Therefore, I conclude that the potential for Lesotho Television to inform, educate and entertain would seem to outweigh the limitations.<br>Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Submitted in Fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015.<br>Tourism can be classified either as urban tourism or as rural tourism, and it is one of the fastest growing industries globally. Rural tourism is usually associated with rural development because it has strong linkages to rural resources; but it remains underdeveloped compared to urban tourism. This underdevelopment of rural tourism serves as a motivation for this study whose aim is to examine the factors affecting the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists especially in this digital world where Information Communication and Technology (ICTs) is pervasive. In fact, ICT has transformed the travel industry in a remarkable way. The objectives of this study were: I) to select suitable theories that can explain the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; ii) to design a conceptual model of the factors affecting the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; iii) to empirically test the planned conceptual model of the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists, and, iv) to recommend measures to be taken for the improvement of the satisfaction levels of rural tourists to the point where they can significantly contribute to the full development of rural tourism. These objectives were achieved using content analysis of existing literature on rural tourism satisfaction and through a survey of tourists from the Malealea Lodge which is located in the Mafeteng District, in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. The results of this study are the following: I) the push and pull motivation theory was selected to explain the perceived satisfaction of rural tourists; ii) rural tourism demographics, their push and pull motivation, and their level of ICT adoption were hypothesized as the factors that affect tourists satisfaction with their rural tourism experiences; iii) the satisfaction of rural tourists with their rural tourism experience is affected by their occupations (demographic factor), by their level of ICT adoption, and by their pull motivation; and this satisfaction is not affected by other demographic attributes nor by the push motivation of rural tourists; iv) it is recommended that rural tourism marketing be increased in order to attract clients from other regions besides Africa and Europe and other age groups apart from young Africans which were found by xiii this study to be the biggest rural tourism clientele group, and that peace and security be maintained in rural tourism destinations as these two attributes were found to have an effect on the perceived satisfaction of rural tourism. Finally, more research should be conducted on the effect of ICT adoption on rural tourism satisfaction.<br>M

The aim of this work was to find out and compare the economic, social and environmental context of horse breeding in the breeding holdings and on agricultural farms in the Český Krumlov region. Both organic and conventional farms have been compared, no matter if horse breeding was their main activity, or just a complementary or a hobby activity. The main criterion of the comparison was the way of housing the horses, distinguishing between three main types of horse breeding: 1. Box individual, or indoor group stabling 2. All-year stay in the pasture, so-called 24/7 system 3. Stay in a box for a part of a 24-hour cycle and stay in the enclosure or pasture for the rest of the cycle. Results were obtained through publicly available sources and a questionnaire survey that involved 12 horse breeders. The conclusion of the thesis is that the basic management (types or strategies) of horse breeding differ: a) in economic aspects the most advantageous management type was the all-year continuous stay of horses in the pastures, b) in social aspects the best type of management from the social relation point of view, was the individual boxing, or group stabling (so-called free stables) with some portion of everyday outside stay of the horses, c) in environmental aspects - the all-year outside stay of the horses was considered to burden the environment the least, its impacts are rather positive in cultural and close to nature landscapes.