Three major land uses are distinguished in the eastern communal lands. In Rietfontein and Okamatapati people farm on officially fenced-off farms of around 5 000 hectares each, while the southern and western parts of the area consist of mainly unofficially fenced off and open areas that vary considerably in size. The remainder of the area is considered open communal land and usually uninhabited or very sparsely inhabited, mainly due to the absence of permanent water sources (Mendelsohn & El Obeid, 2002).