Institutional factors in natural resource management in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa - Institutional Constraints to Small Farmer Development in Southern Africa - page 224

for it and this land can be divided into various categories, e.g. land reserved for God and
owned by religious organization or land owned collectively by the community (Payne,
1997). Furthermore, in other cultures like Xhosas, cattle play a crucial role of connecting
the living and the dead that is they are used for ancestral spirits. This shows that cattle are
not just slaughtered for joyful times but also in relation to religious beliefs (Soga, 1937).
Religion as an institution, therefore, can also affect the way rangelands are used because
there are people who adhere strongly to their religious beliefs.
10.4.2 Formal institutional factors
Besides informal institutions for the management of communal rangelands, there are
formal institutions. These institutions include, inter alia , government policies, farmers'
organisations and markets. These types of institutional arrangements are mostly used in
the rural communities of South Africa for the management of rangelands
Policies for natural resource management
In the Eastern Cape Province, the management of rangelands for livestock farming is
under the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture. The provincial department
consists of the following: Applied Research and Training, Extension, Land Administration,
Land-use Planning, Finance, Engineering, Youth and Gender, Veterinary Services and
Administration. Bisho is the head office, but there are regional offices in Umtata, East
London and Port Elizabeth, which consist of sub-regions, wherein there are district offices
from which extension services work. There are also non-governmental organisations, such
as environmental agencies, development forums, community organisations, common
property associations, farmers' unions and co-operatives (Scogings et al. , 2000). Some of
the legislative and other mandates that are applied for the improvement of livestock farming
are (Department of Agriculture, 2003/2006):
• Animal Identification Act, Act 8 of 2001;
• Livestock Improvement Act Meat Safety Act, Act 7 of 2001;
• Animal Health Act, Act 3 of 2002;
• Livestock Improvement Act, 1997, Act no 25 of 1997;
• Limitation and Animal Protection Act (Ciskei), 1986, Act 20 of 1986; and
• Livestock Brands Act, 1962.
Environmental Conservation Act of 1982, Act 100 of 1982
Environmental Conservation Act, Act 100 of 1982, was the first attempt in South Africa
to address environmental protection in a joint way. Its aim was to provide co-ordination
in all activities that might have an impact on the environment. However, this Act did
not provide for a complete environmental control measure and this resulted in it being