Veld management in the communal areas of Ciskei

Abstract

Veld management in Ciskei is based predominantly on a communal land tenure system, and livestock is produced under a ‘Group Ranch’ system. Stocking rates are excessively high and consequently veld degradation is severe, resulting in a lowered carrying capacity and low efficiency indicators such as weaning percentage. Veld rehabilitation programmes during the 1960s resulted in some improvement in veld condition, but also caused bush encroachment and selective grazing. Factors limiting veld rehabilitation are of a political, socio‐economic and technical nature, the most important being overstocking, the land tenure system and incorrect land use. A solution to the continued degradation of the veld depends on the commitment of the government to a development strategy which addresses factors such as freehold tenure, education and the provision of incentive for profitable production.

Veldbestuurspraktyke in Ciskei is oorwegend gebaseer op ‘n kommunale grondbesit stelsel en diereproduksie vind plaas volgens ‘n stelsel van gemeenskaplike (kommunale) weidings (die sogenaamde ‘Group Ranches'‐stelsel). Vanwee buitensporig hoë veeladings kom ernstige veldagteruitgang voor. Die gevolg hiervan is ‘n verlaging in weika‐pasiteit en produksiedoeltreffendheid. Veldherstelprogramme gedurende die 1960s het wel ‘n mate van veldherstel teweeggebring, maar ook aanleiding gegee tot bosverdigting en selektiewe beweiding. Verskeie politieke, sosio‐ekonomiese en tegniese faktore (met oorbeweiding as belangrikste eksponent) werk beperkend in op veldherstelprogramme. Die sukses van sulke programme word verder beperk deur die huidige grondbesitstelsel en verkeerde grondbenuttings‐praktyke. ‘n Oplossing tot die probleem van aanhoudende veldagteruitgang is afhanklik van die Regering se verbintenis tot ‘n ontwikkelingsstrategie wat faktore soos privaat grondbesit, omgewingsgerigte opvoeding en die voorsiening van insentiewe vir winsgewende produksie aanspreek.

Additional index words:

• Bush encroachment
• development
• land tenure
• overstocking
• veld rehabilitation