Property: uKhahlamba/ Drakensberg Park
Id. N°: 985
State Party: South Africa
Criteria: N(iii) (iv) C (i) (iii)
The Committee inscribed uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (iii) and (iv) and cultural criteria (i) and (iii):
Natural criteria (iii) and (iv):
The site has exceptional natural beauty with soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks and golden sandstone ramparts. Rolling high altitude grasslands, the pristine steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges also contribute to the beauty of the site. The site's diversity of habitats protects a high level of endemic and globally threatened species, especially of birds and plants.
Cultural criteria (i) and (iii): Criterion (i):
The rock art of the uKhahlamba/Drakensberg is the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings in Africa, south of the Sahara and is outstanding both in quality and diversity of subject. Criterion (iii): The San people lived in the mountainous uKhahlamba/Drakensberg area for more than four millennia, leaving behind them a corpus of outstanding rock art which throws much light on their way of life and their beliefs.
A number of delegates supported the nomination, which enhances the diversity of African biogeographical provinces represented on the World Heritage List, with this site being an example of the Mediterranean biome. The Committee furthermore encouraged the State Party to work on an integrated management plan, including the management of fire and invasive species as well as visitor management.
The Delegate of South Africa informed the Committee of the importance of Izintaba zoKhahlamba in her country and that the authorities are addressing a number of issues raised by the Committee. She hoped that with bilateral and international assistance the integrated management plan could be accomplished.