After 20-Year Wait, Lesotho’s Only Snake Park Finally Gets Land Lease

This report covers after 20-year wait, lesotho's with key details and context.

After more than two decades of bureaucratic delays, Nkhooa Molahlehi has finally received a land lease for Lesotho’s only snake park. The 2.4-hectare facility, built under a sandstone cliff in Qacha’s Nek, is the culmination of a 30-year personal crusade that saw Molahlehi overcome witchcraft accusations and government indifference.

Molahlehi first applied for the land in 2006, but the lease was only issued this July. ‘Without the lease there was no security for investment,’ he said. The delay prevented him from attracting funding, and the park’s snake population dropped from 121 at its peak to just 14.

Despite the challenges, Molahlehi built the enclosures using his own salary and support from the German government. The park now houses native species like the zebra spitting cobra and rinkhals. He envisions adding accommodation, educational programs, and venom extraction facilities.

The government has acknowledged the park’s potential, conducting a feasibility study in 2015-2016 that recommended redevelopment. However, promised subsidies of M200,000 per year never materialised. Ministry of Tourism spokesperson Mamolise Falatsa referred questions to the Environment Ministry, which did not respond.

For Molahlehi, the lease is a vindication. ‘I built it here with the support of this community,’ he said. ‘These are the people who stood by me from the beginning.’

Article source: allafrica.com | Image credit: GroundUp

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