Two WC sites up for World Heritage status: 'This is extremely significant'
Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport, says that attaining World Heritage status will elevate not only the province but also the significant sites onto the global stage.
Diepkloof General View / Wikimedia Commons: Vincent Mourre / Inrap
Zain Johnson interviews Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
Listen below.
This week, the 46th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will assess the candidacy of two sites in the Western Cape for World Heritage status.
If successful, these sites will gain protection under the World Heritage Convention and be added to the prestigious World Heritage List.
One of the nominations under consideration is titled ‘The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa’.
This nomination comprises three Middle Stone Age sites that provide crucial evidence for understanding the origins of modern human behaviour.
The sites included are:
- Diepkloof Rock Shelter near Elands Bay in the Western Cape
- Pinnacle Point Site Complex in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape
- Sibhudu Cave in KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal
"This is extremely significant."
- Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape MEC - Cultural Affairs and Sport
Mackenzie emphasises that attaining World Heritage status will elevate not only the Western Cape but also these significant sites onto the global stage.
He highlights that these sites represent the origins where humanity developed cognitive abilities, a heritage that all South Africans can take pride in.
"That is nearly 162 000 years old; it is incredible that this is where it all started."
- Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape MEC - Cultural Affairs and Sport
Mackensie adds that they are collaborating closely with partners to secure the recognition and status these sites rightly deserve by the week's end.
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