WRC project: Landscape

greening in the Tsitsa catchment

Research location: Sinxaku villages

Rhodes University

Project context

• Ntabelanga Dam

• Sedimentation problem

• DEA funded rehabilitation project (Ntabelanga and

Lalini Ecological Infrastructure Project - NLEIP)

• Our project - working in area close to the proposed

dam to look at how rehabilitation can bring benefit

to the community

The Sinxaku landscape

Lower

Sinxaku

Upper

Sinxaku

Wetland in gully floor

Erosion control by Transkei government

DEA/NRM’s erosion control activities

Employment through EPWP

Dangers of

ponding

First perceptions

• Village residents concerned about land degradation

• Social and economic importance of livestock

• Breakdown of governance systems for natural

resource management (including grazing)

• ALSO employment opportunities from outside

funders does not provide security - funding and

payment delays = frustration and lack of

commitment from workers

improved livestock

management

(community)better veg. cover

increased livestock

health, marketing

and income

opportunitiesstructural

interventions (NRM)

(landscape scale)

employment

reducing

erosion

runoff control &

sediment

trapping

increased food

supply

marketing

opportunities

water harvesting

household gardens

Approaches to achieving a productive and sustainable greening of

the landscape

vetiver

nurseries

What have we been doing?

• Helen attended a Savory holistic grazing management 1 week course

(April 2016).

• Been working in the area for two years on WRC greening activities, got to

know the community, introduced idea of link between livestock and

landscape health.

• Talked to the Chief of the tribal authority and received his support.

• Monde and Helen visited UCCP group in Matatiele (January 2017).

• Two workshops introducing key principles related to holistic management

(January and May 2017); attended by Mafusa, Mkize and Sipeka.

• First auction visit by community members (March).

• Ready to start on the ground planning (May 18th) - help needed to move

forwards!

Identified needs

• erosion control and closing dongas

• water supply

• grazing system/rangers

• animal health

• stock security

• improving breeds

• transport to market

Thank you from Sinxaku