Abstract
Solid waste management (SWM) is the greatest challenge facing environmental protection and human wellbeing in the rural communities of Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. While a major concern in the rural areas of Maseru is the disposal of generated waste, the challenges faced by Maseru City Council (MCC) in managing the waste seem overwhelming. A lack of formal waste management systems in rural Maseru has resulted in different indigenous systems and practices (ISPs) of SWM. These systems and practices are currently not regulated and may have unintended consequences on the environment and human wellbeing. There is also a general lack of knowledge on the practices and impact of these systems on the environment and human wellbeing.
For this research, direct observation and ethnographic designs were employed. This is a mixed-methods study, qualitative, quantitative, and non-experimental in nature, and it was based on data sets obtained through the existing official census and statistics of Maseru, as well as through observations, interviews, and questionnaires. A descriptive method was used during data analysis, where statistics from primary and secondary data were described. The aims were, therefore, to understand the different indigenous SWM systems used in the rural areas of Maseru; and to do a critical analysis of ISPs of SWM in the rural areas of Maseru to influence policy and change practices. To achieve these aims, the objectives were to critically analyse the characteristics of waste generated and the different practices of indigenous waste management systems in the rural communities of Maseru. The total population of the rural areas of Maseru under study is 6,917. The sample size for the rural areas under study was 693. A pilot study to test the research tools took place at Ha Teko, and included 50 participants who were randomly selected. Participants who participated in the pilot study did not form part of the main study.
Primary data were collected through observations and the administration of 693 structured questionnaires with closed and open-ended questions developed by the researcher. Questionnaires written in Sesotho and English were hand-delivered to participants and collected on the same day. Data were then analysed quantitatively with the assistance of STATKON at the University of Johannesburg by using International Business Management
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Statistical Package for Social Science version 25.0. The descriptive method was used to interpret the results.
For validity, the interview questions were developed to obtain answers to the research questions. For reliability, the researcher designed open and close-ended questions. The questions were set in such a manner that they produced stable and consistent results. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Departmental Research Committee, Higher Degrees Committee and Research Ethics Committee of the University of Johannesburg, the chiefs, and the Ministry of Environment in Lesotho.
This study made recommendations to the Ministry of Environment to work with the communities to plan and implement waste management and development projects. The findings will be published in an accredited journal and presented at national and international conferences, seminars and special events organised in the study area.