Conclusions

Clear interconnection

Potential or indirect interconnection supported by some research Potential or indirect interconnection where further research is needed

(direction of the arrow shows direction of connection)

Figure 3.5 – Visual representation of the interconnections between the natural and cultural values that supported the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List and other significant values of the property (2/2) (interconnections between the values that supported the inscription are presented in black, interconnections between the values that supported the inscription and other important values are presented in blue, interconnections related to the economic value of the property are represented in violet. Differences in colour do not imply any ranking between the different values).

While this section does not provide a comprehensive description of all values of the property (for instance, we did not discuss educational values), it does illustrate through several examples how different natural and cultural values are interconnected. It also demonstrates the complexity of some of those interconnections and the challenges to describe it and present it in a structured way.

on inference from archaeological evidence and ethnographic analogy.

The justification for the inscription of the property under criterion (iii), relates to a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared, not as a living tradition. As expressed in ICOMOS’ evaluation ‘Punitive raids during the 1860s and 1870s led to the eventual destruction of the San communities, upsetting the balance that had existed for thousands of years between the indigenous people and their sustainable use of the natural resources of the region’ (ICOMOS 2000, evaluation).

However, Wright and Mazel have commented that in recent years ‘several small groups living in the uplands of KwaZulu-Natal sought to establish a public identity for themselves as the descendants of San forebears’ (Wright and Mazel 2007). It is possible that these groups provide a link not only in terms of cultural history, but also as a counterpoint to the idea of the San as a locally extinct group with a possibly higher degree of continuity in the pre-colonial history of the Maloti-Drakensberg than conventionally believed. Significantly, Prins (see also Ndlovu 2005 and Francis 2007) also refers to an annual ‘eland ceremony’ performed by the San descendants people, which ‘entails the killing of an eland, usually on a private farm adjacent to the park, and the sprinkling of its blood on the rocks leading up to the rock art site by elders and ritual functionaries’ (Prins 2009).

Recent research shows there is a continuity of the San presence through submerged groups among the modern AmaZulu. This provides a link not only in terms of cultural history, as a counterpoint to the idea of the San as a locally extinct group, but also in land-use traditions which show a transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture, and with it a different relationship to the natural values.

New evidence shows links between San ritual practices and those of Bantu-speaking communities in the same area. This suggests a higher degree of continuity in the pre-colonial history of the Maloti- Drakensberg than conventionally believed. This is another topic that we feel is deserving of additional research. Nevertheless, it is important to state that the features and attributes defining the natural criteria (vii) and (x) are extremely important elements for the actual and further interpretation of the evolution of the region and for the understanding of the interconnection between the San civilization and their environment.

Focusing on the interconnections between values rather than separately identifying and describing those values required a methodological approach that pushed team members to think outside of their disciplinary comfort zones. Structuring that approach into three levels and building the complexity progressively helped us with this process. We wanted to start with the criteria that justified the inscription of the property as main ‘building blocks’ around which we could start articulating other values and levels of significance. However, we wanted to avoid ranking these different levels to prevent some values being regarded as predominant and others not requiring consideration. At the same time, we also needed to ensure that we did not aggregate all the values into a very complex description of all the interconnections that would not be comprehensible and adequately inform conservation decisions.

This is why building the diagram was a fundamental part of our thinking process.

The diagram allowed us to symbolically represent very complex information. It also helped us to visualise some of the potential interconnections, which probably we wouldn’t have considered if we had only attempted to describe it. We made several attempts on how to present the diagram. Although we are not fully satisfied with the result, we hope it will help people understanding the interconnected character of the natural and cultural values of the property in a holistic manner.

The interdisciplinary nature of the team was also fundamental. People with different backgrounds often think quite differently about a particular topic, creating knowledge barriers that can make it difficult to understand the relationships between the natural and cultural values. Instead of looking at this diversity of viewpoints as a constraint, we embraced it. Different experiences and knowledge of particular aspects of the property when combined allowed us to understand interconnections that we wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Sometimes a simple ordinary remark from one team member triggered an

Any assessment of heritage values poses difficulties and no single method yields all the answers. The methodological approach followed should by no means be construed to mean it is the most correct assessment of those values other than for the purpose of the project, which we recall has an experimental nature. Our objective is to explore how a more genuinely integrated consideration of natural and cultural values of the property can potentially strengthen governance and management arrangements that will result in better conservation outcomes.

4. THE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE PROPERTY

This section of the report draws linkages between the interconnected character of the values of the property, discussed in the previous section, and the governance and management systems in place. The objective is to understand if these systems could be strengthened in order to achieve better conservation outcomes, if based on a more genuinely integrated consideration of natural and cultural heritage of the property. We first present a brief overview of the history of the conservation of the property, focusing mainly on its conservation as a natural protected area, which seems to have been the main driver for the conservation of the property initially. Then we examine the management objectives included in the main planning documents to understand to what extent they are linked with the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, as well as other significant values that should be equally protected. Subsequently, we outline the property’s governance system and management arrangements in order to finally reflect on critical governance and management challenges that warrant further attention and resources.