South Africa gets 8th World Heritage Site

The Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

STATEMENT BY THE OFFICE OF MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, THURSDAY 28 JUNE 2007

SOUTH AFRICA GETS 8TH WORLD HERITAGE SITE

“I am proud to announce that yesterday, at the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee that is being held in Christchurch, New Zealand, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the eighth South African World Heritage Site. This site joins the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park (Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park), uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Robben Island, Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, Vredefort Dome and the Fossil Hominid-bearing Sites of South Africa (i.e., Cradle of Humankind, Makapan Valley and Taung Skull Fossil Sites) as places of outstanding universal value, the Minister said”

In support of this achievement, the Minister will proclaim the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape as a World Heritage Site in terms of a provision of the World Heritage Convention Act (Act No. 49 of 1999).