2. Non wood goods and services

2.1.1. Grasses

Mohiomo: Common Lesotho name

Thatching grass: Common English name

Hyparrhenia hirta: Scientific name

Robust, tall and very erect perennial leaf blades usually expanded and tapering to a point; the general colour glaucous green turning reddish with age. This grass is found both in the rangeland and in forestlands. According to the 1981- 88 rangelands inventory, this species covers and area of about 350,190 ha (about 40% of the total area of Lesotho).

Moseha: Common Lesotho name

Small oat grass Common English name

Merxmuellera macowanii: Scientific name

Moseha leaves are hard and fabrous, the blades usually rolled and linear. They are confined to the high altitude areas normally above 1 800m above sea level. They thrive very well on deep, moist soils and sheltered valleys. They are spread over an area of about 106, 356 ha (29.22%).

2.1.2. Medicinal plants

The Basotho tribal people were once great believers in witchcraft, and those who still are, are firmly convinced that most of their ailments are due to the evil influence of some persons. To avert such evil influences or to break their spells, the Basotho employ medicine and charms. These are administered in various ways, such as decoctions, lotions and powder or whole plants are kept or smoked in the hut or in the courtyard. Very unfortunately not many people are interested in medicinal plants and herbalists never bother to write down all they know on paper. Consequently, the knowledge of the medicinal value of plants is slowly fading away. The medicinal plants themselves also tend to disappear as pressure is put on land by the increasing population

Hiokoana la tsela: Common Lesotho name

Dianthus basutcus: Scientific name

Traditional headers adore this plant for ritual practice. It is sold in most herbal stalls at high prices. Physiologically it acts as a carminative and expels gases from the bowels. This herb promotes cleansing and delaxification of the blood stream.

Khapumpu: Common Lesotho name

Eucomis autumnus: Scientific name

It is actually a nice plant to grow and looks beautiful when it flowers. This plant has many properties as a cleaner. In the olden days, in some regions it was used as soap to wash clothes or animal skins. An infusion made from this herb is good for healing sexually transmitted diseases. The plant is also good for piles but if made too strong it leaves a burning sensation. This species is endangered in Lesotho. It brings a lot of income to sellers at street market.

2.1.3. Sandstone

According to Ambrose D. (1993) cited by E.S. Sekaleli (1997), Lesotho consists of a series of nearly horizontal layers of rock, mainly laid down some 180 million years ago. Valleys and gorges are not covered by layers the soil and thus exposing geology for everyone to see.

If you stand almost anywhere in the valleys you can see at a glance much of the country geological story. Clearest of all is the horizontal boundary between the white sandstone and the darker basalt rock of the Maluti.

According to ZMCK consulting Engineers, 1997 the geology of the District of Maseru shows that the district comprises sand stone. Mudstone and siltstone of the Elliot formation. An approximately one hundred and fifty metres thick rock formation of the stomberg group of the Karoo super group, which is estimated to be about two hundred million years old. Fine grained to medium grained sandstone comprise a large proportion of this group and it is generally alternated with the mudstone and siltstones. It is from this sandstone that the stones are cut into rectangular blocks of varying sizes which stone masons use for construction purposes.

2.1.4. Honey

Honey has always played a very important role to Basotho as a nation both culturally and medicinally. The honey-harvesting manner still cast doubt to-date as to whether there was any consideration given to the future supply. The harvesting manner was that the colony if sighted would be smoked and burned until most bees were killed and the colony was defenceless. They would then extract honey and any brood present would be thrown away, but, they were intelligent enough to recognise that in winter bees reduced brood production and instead stock/keep a lot of honey. Consequently, harvesting was done in winter so that good quality honey could be collected.

With regards to cultural believes, if a colony of bees nested around or within one’s premises, that colony would not be disturbed because it was believed to be a sign of good luck. In the case of traditional healers, it was believed to be a sign of more people who would come for services. Cattle rearers believed that they would get lots of cattle if a colony nested on or close to their cattle posts or kraals.

2.2.1. Grazing

According to the Forest Act of 1998, it is an offence to graze animals in a forest reserve without a license. Any grazing license should contain the description of the livestock and the number allowed to graze and the period during which they are so allowed. Trespassing livestock may be driven out or seized and impounded and the person responsible fined and made liable for the costs for watering, impounding, feeding of the stock and damages caused.

2.2.2. Cutting of grass for thatching

Cutting of thatching grass Hyparrhenia hirta for roofing is done in winter when the grass is dry. In the forest reserve, a license is required for cutting the grass. The license will also specify the number of days in which an individual will be allowed to spend in the reserve.

2.2.3. Digging and gathering of medicinal plants

According to the Proclamation of Monuments, Relics, Fauna and Flora under the Legal Notice No. 36 of 1969 and according to the Forest Regulation under the Legal Notice of 1980 no person shall remove any forest produce from a forest reserve unless the produce has been marked for removal and unless such a person has a license to do so.

2.2.4. Hunting

By law, no hunting is allowed in the Forest Reserves at any time. In the communal forests however, hunting is not strictly prohibited. However, according to the Historical Monuments, Relics, Fauna and Flora Act of 1967 there are some specified threatened birds and mammals, which may not be hunted at any time. An example of these protected birds and mammals is the bald ibis (Geronticus calves), cape vulture (Gyps coprotheris), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).