SA jumps in to save African heritage sites

Article by Sheree Russouw originally published in the Saturday Star, 29 April 2006

Fourteen endangered World Heritage sites across Africa are to benefit from a multimillion-rand rescue package that aims to preserve them for future generations. On Friday, South Africa plans to unveil the African World Heritage Fund, which will support countries without the budgets and skill to guard their proclaimed natural and cultural treasures.

South Africa - home to seven World Heritage sites - has been credited with pioneering the birth of the fund. At a ceremony at the Cradle of Humankind in Maropeng, west of Johannesburg, the departments of arts and culture and of environmental affairs and tourism will jointly contribute R20-million to the fund. China, the Netherlands, India and Israel have also pledged their financial support.

Thirty-four of the world's 812 World Heritage sites have been placed on the World Heritage Endangered List - and 14 of these are in Africa.

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