Sustainable rural development in Lesotho

The sustainability of rural development policies, strategies and projects formulated and implemented in Lesotho since independence in 1966 was investigated in this thesis. This was accomplished through the use of secondary and primary data. Secondary data was collected on all major rural development projects. Primary data was sought on the sustainability of the activities initiated by the Farm Improvement with soil conservation (FISC)/Production Through Conservation (PTC) project in the Mohale's hoek district which was used as a case study. The primary data collection involved the use of a questionnaire administered to 200 rural households selected through the use of a multi -stage sampling procedure from the households in the villages where the proj eet operated. At both the national level and the local FISC/PTC project level, the results of the study showed that the modus operandi used in donor assistance, the politicians, decision-makers and planners contributed in part to the lack of sustainable rural development in Lesotho. However, the study concluded that the biggest contribution to the demise of sustainable rural development in Lesotho came from the communities themselves due to their lack of willingness to change their perceptions of, and attitudes towards, development. The communities were reluctant and leave the unsustainable conveniences accorded by their old lifestyles to which they were accustomed for centuries and throughout generations, and adapt to the costs, pains and risks that accompanied changes in their life-styles introduced by sustainable development in their communities and regions.