ABSTRACT
The iKhamanzi, a tributary of the Mvoti River, nestles in a relatively biodiversity-rich valley of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The valley of iKhamanzi is under the custodianship of the Zondi chieftaincy. The boundaries of this traditional administrative area, like many others in the region, begin where the optimum conditions for extensive agricultural cultivation declines – that is, at the edge of the escarpment as it drops into the valley. Small hamlets dot the valley slopes and floor, surrounded by patches of indigenous forests and grasslands containing a diverse range of medicinal and other useful plants. Patches of cultivation take place near the homesteads or along the valley floor, interspersed between the dense valley bushveld. But, on the whole, the integrity of the environment still appears to be relatively good, with few signs of soil erosion or loss of plant diversity.
