Senior Government Officials and Members of Parliament toured the Liphofung Historical and Cultural Site in Botha-Bothe district and the Tsehlanyane National Park (TNP) in the Leribe district as part of celebrations to mark World Tourism Day.

Speaking at Tsehlanyane National Park, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Miss Lebohang Nts'inyi congratulated the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) for developing the areas into tourists attractions, adding that now it is up to communities living around the areas to take care of them. The Minister pleaded to Members of Parliament to inform people during their gatherings about the importance of taking care of such areas as they are developed with the objective of benefiting the communities as well as the country. 

The Minister said, the MP's should also spot other tourist attractions in their areas that would be visited by experts and be developed. Miss Nts'inyi appealed to people who are selling indigenous plants to the neighbouring countries to stop because they are eroding their plants for very small amounts of money on plants that cannot be recovered, adding that this is a crime and such people if found should be taken to courts of law.

The Field Operation Branch Manager, Mr. Habofanoe Makhoane said the objective of developing these two areas and others is to preserve the indigenous plants and to use such areas as tourists' attractions. Mr. Makhoane said one of the plants that the TNP pride itself with is the leucosidea (Che-che), which is becoming scarce in the country and other new plants that they are in the process of studying their behaviour and characteristics.

The Branch Manager said even the animals that were also becoming extinct are now being seen due to heavy vegetation found in such areas such as the monkeys that have been increased from more than 10 to 60. He said the problem that they encounter is the burning of grass, adding that this is unfortunate as it destroys the plants that took them a long time to nurture and protect.

Chief Malefetsane Mohale of Tsehlanyane complained about the lenient sentences given to people who have been found guilty of burning grass, adding that other perpetrators are not discouraged because they know that they will have to pay a maximum of M100 only when the damage they have done is irrecoverable.        

In an interview, MP's promised to take this matter seriously and to inform their people about taking part in protecting nature and environment in their villages. Ts'ehlanyane protects over 5600 hectares of rugged mountain terrain, which includes one of the few indigenous types of woodland in the country. Liphofung  which measures up to 4 hectares was originally used by the San and other Stone Age people, the walls contain important rock art and rich archaeological deposit of Stone Age implements occurs on the floor.

16 November,2002