manner, if policies and strategies are not followed, and proper guidance of environment education is not given to local authorities.
alternative efforts to fight unemployment and general economic growth are focused at the central rather than the national level. "Think Global and act local," this means acting at the community level and fostering economic, social-cultural growth (www.enter.org!communty.htm).
The importance of linking community-based tourism to the objectives of local economic development is emphasized by the added explanation that community-based tourism should offer some form of benefit to local people who are not directly involved. Despite its growing local economic development in rural areas, Tisdell and Roy (1998:194) state that job opportunities are restricted and local incomes are low in many rural areas of Scotland compared to other areas
Policies promoting tourism are often based on an assumption that it will help the local people.
However, according to Chambers (1998), the PRA held in Keolaeko seriously questions such assumptions and related policies. The net loss to local people in establishing the national park in this study is significant. Tourists are subsidized to visit the park and tourism revenue accrues to social groups that do not experience conservation costs or burdens.
The main focus of the policies of Lesotho and South Africa and their implementation ofMDTP concerning economic practices is on eco-tourism; the farming activities of the project focus on rangeland management. Production of high quality animals to sustain the farmers' life is an indirect focus that is further constrained by limited entrepreneurship, especially in Lesotho.
According to Friedman, cited by Cloke (1998:10), "in economic markets, each of us can decide for himself, within the limits of our income, we can be sure that what we vote for with our dollars we get. This is why the economic market is by far the only mechanism available that provides real individual democracy". To allow sustainable benefits, other socio-political development should also be examined as they have been dominated by the former in the past decades.
4.2.2 Social and political benefits
Social development is aimed at the welfare of the total community. This welfare refers to, among others, education and training, culture and religion, the development of abilities like good human relationships, leadership and organizational abilities. The focus of social development is primarily on human development and, secondarily, on the development of service (Lombard, 1992:213). Hugo (1980:167), cited by Lombard (1996), confirms this viewpoint as follows:
The social process whereby people become more able to better their way of life (the education) is thus of greater importance than the physical facilities or amenities established as a result of the application of community development programs. Human development is based on the supposition that participation in community development motivates the population to accept social responsibility and strive toward prosperity.
According to the project progress report of the MDTP from Lesotho, 'The committees consist of representatives of various stakeholders in the district, and these include community groups, the private sector and the public sector. The steering committees consist of up to 40 members in each district, representing all relevant stakeholders, while the executive committees consist of seven to nine members elected from the general membership of the steering committees.
The steering committee provides strategic guidance and identifies priority issues to be captured in MDTP district action plans, while the executive committees serve as the implementing arms of the steering committees in each district' (MDTP Report 2004). This implies that community members are taking part in decision making.
To ensure constant contact with the local communities in the target area, the Lesotho Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture has been actively supporting the MDTP by convening public meetings throughout the project area in an effort to sensitize the public about the objectives of the MDTP as well as ecotourism opportunities that exist within the project area (www.maloti.org).This implies that the involved communities are educated in tourism related socio-political issues as they are engaged in these activities.
Reid (1995:14) points out that education, whether formal or informal, is a powerful means of promoting changes in awareness and attitude. He further says education for sustainable development must create an awareness of the global environmental crisis and place it at the heart of the curriculum. It must be ecological rather than environmental, encouraging broad holistic thinking, teaching the need for structural change and promoting the correct application to specific technical problems.
An example of education on environmental issues is given by Meintsma (2001 :70) who reports
that due to the proposed reserved area for the tourism sector in THE 1000 HILLS EXPERIENCE, some stakeholders, such as the environmental agency in that area, pursued the community environmental awareness programmes. This plan has positive impacts on tourism in the area, and the communities living around it because they are exposed to environmental education in order to improve the natural environment surrounding the reserved area. What happens around the reserve has a direct influence on the functioning of the reserve.
Consequently community members will initiate tourism projects if they manage and conserve their environment in a sustainable manner. The emphasis for environment education should be demonstrates and applied by local authorities The community members should also be taught the significance of proper environmental use from an economical point of view.
From the political point of view, Hope and Timmel (1995 :26) postulate that many leaders for social change feel that critical awareness is necessary for community development and people should understand the human causes of their misfortunes and recognize their own capacity for positive activities for important changes to take place. Given the opportunity by legal basis to exercise their power, the local authorities engaging fully in tourism projects have a chance to improve their coordination and facilitation of development activities. It is the role of local authorities, either as in traditional leader status or political appointee position, to take part in decision making, planning and managing of tourism projects in their host communities. It is also their role to protect human, natural and financial resources. Local authorities play all these roles to comply with the political role. The more they practise in tourism projects, the more they become competent. Empowering people leaves them with life time skills that sustain their livelihoods. When they know their rights, communities will be able to play their political role
of participation, as indicated by White (1996). This should be done for sustainable community development. Apart from that, local authorities and also the local people benefit as the procedure of including local authorities and consulting community members improves and creates local democracy and political stability in the state.