Institutional factors in natural resource management in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa - Institutional Constraints to Small Farmer Development in Southern Africa - page 234

Study site 3: Lashington community
Geographical location. Lashington is situated in the central part of the Eastern Cape. The
community is in the Seymour district, which is about 25 kilometres north-west of Fort
Beaufort and 20 kilometres west of Balfour. The community falls under the Nkonkobe
municipality. Lashington is located 32°38´ South and 27°28´ East with the altitude of 828
m above sea level. The main town is Fort Beaufort, which lies between the Keiskamma and
Great Fish Rivers (Eastern Cape Parks, 2007).
Climate. The climate of the Nkonkobe Municipality is semi-arid with an annual rainfall
not exceeding 600 mm. Rains are higher during summer and winters are dry with frequent
frosts.
Rangelands. The vegetative cover is mainly valley bush, which is suitable for both cattle
and goat production. The rangelands are not only used for grazing animals but also for
collecting fuel wood and building poles and dung. Invader species on the rangelands, such
as black wattle, tend to reduce livestock production.
Livestock. Cattle and goats are dominant in this community. They are kept for different
purposes. Cattle are kept for draught power while goats are kept for slaughter for home
consumption. Summer months are not favourable for livestock as they are susceptible to
diseases because of hot weather conditions, which make it possible for external parasites
such as ticks to reproduce.
10.6.3 Methodological questions
The variables used in this study are based on the institutional factors both formal and
informal that affect the management of natural resources within communal rangelands.
Most of the variables are developed from the Institutional Analysis and Development
(IAD) framework.
The variables that directly or indirectly can affect the use of communal rangelands
include, inter alia , beliefs and norms, collective action choice, conflicts, sanction rights
and land security. These variables, according to the FAO (1991), can help a researcher in
understanding how a village is organised and how it operates. Favourable social and cultural
practices promote cooperation among people while unfavourable practices create barriers
for sustainable management among community members. These, in turn, result in conflicts
and frictions regarding the way in which resources should be utilised and managed. This
indicates that these rules have a significant impact on the way in which the community
interacts with its environment.