The North-West University (NWU) Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Centre in partnership with Modi Donkey Farm will be hosting a donkey farmers’ Lekgotla on 1 September 2022 at the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus.

Director of the IKS Centre Dr Motheo Koitsiwe says the purpose of the lekgotla is to discuss challenges and possible mitigation strategies, to establish a database and council for donkey farmers, and to start a donkey information desk at the NWU’s School of Agricultural Sciences.

“In the contemporary era donkeys are seemingly overlooked, undervalued, mistreated, and suffer from poor husbandry practices,” says Dr Koitsiwe.

“Literature consulted depicts that the ignorance of donkeys in livestock development programmes and initiatives developed by government policymakers leads to maltreatment, donkey theft and diseases. This ultimately creates stigmas around donkeys and donkey farming, and we aim to change this,” he adds.