CRADLE OF HUMANKIND

1
PRESENTATION

• CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
• WORLD HERITAGE SITE
• (The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein,
  Swartkrans, Kromdraai and environs)
• Presentation to
• PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
• 01 APRIL 2003

2
Context and background

• South Africa signed the World Heritage Convention
  in 1997
• The Cradle of Humankind was listed in December
  1999 along with Robben Island and Greater St.
  Lucia Wetland Park. Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg is
  the latest South African WHS to be declared
• World Heritage Convention Act passed in December
  1999 - set up management authorities plans
  DACEL management authority at this time

3
Context and background

• High community expectations after listing.
• High political expectations.

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Context and background

• Almost all of the site is on privately owned land
  (700 landowners)
• Tenure security
• Economic development (tourism industry, job
  creation)
• Conservation of the area
• How to develop the whole site for majority
  benefit
• Infrastructure and services improvements
• Negotiations with University of the Witwatersrand
• Now Two Provinces Four Local Authorities
• Soon to become one DMA under the West Rand
• District Municipality.
• There appears to be some issue at present
  regarding municipal ownership of the site.
  This has been clarified and is hopefully soon to
  be resolved.
• Competing (and often individualist) interests.

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• Mostly pristine environment - ecologically
  visually
• Dolomites constitute a natural limitation on
  development
• Located in important grass biome - rare
  Bankenveld grasslands
• Biodiversity second to the fynbos

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Context and background

• 47 000ha of site, spanning two provinces
  (approximately 10 in North West Province)
• Budget of R184m for infrastructure costs for the
  development of the site as a whole.
• Budget of R163m for the development of a complex
  of Interpretive facilities. Donor funding for
  this is presently being sought. Gauteng
  Government is donor of last resort.
• Mohales Gate - 100 ha of Land donated by
  Standard Bank, to be used for the construction of
  the Interpretation Centre.

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Uniqueness

• The subject of human origins is one of global
  interest. Not only are there questions of how,
  when, and where we evolved in the remote past but
  equally there are those which address the roots
  of our current ethnic diversity. All of these
  questions require fossil evidence to be answered.
  They need material collected from different
  habitats and samples from many countries.

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Vision

• To achieve an acceptable balance in the WHS
  between
• the conservation of cultural and natural
  resources
• access
• scientific research and education
• the interests of those living and working in the
  area and
• its use for the economic and social benefit of
  the population at large
• Key challenges
• balancing interests
• sharing benefits
• To establish the WHS as a centre of human
  development.

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Strategy

• To preserve a palaeo-anthropological site of
  unique international significance
• To showcase Africa, and specifically, Southern
  Africa as the source of human origins and thus to
  add value to the African Renaissance movement and
  the New Partnership for African Development
• To promote a sense of provincial, national and
  continental pride in our origins and heritage
• To establish an institution to mobilise
  international and domestic interest and resources
  for the protection and development of the site as
  the showcase site of the origins and story of
  humanity
• To provide capital investment that will allow for
  the leveraging of private investment in the area
• To contribute a key destination to tourism
  destinations in Gauteng and South Africa
• To add value to local development, tourism and
  job creation strategies

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Financial Sustainability Investment

• Sustainability
• Independence from public subsidies
• Economic viability and self sufficiency
• Income and financial return
• Community benefits
• Scientific research
• Conservation

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Financial sustainability Investment

• Diverse funding and partnerships
• Public and private sources
• Site-generated income
• Foundation and donor support

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Institutional and business plan

• Establishment of a Management Authority
• Establishment of a Charitable Trust, likely to be
  a Public Benefit Organisation
• Establishment of an Operational Entity

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Management Authority

• Planning, regulatory and oversight
  responsibilities as provided for in Section 8 of
  the World Heritage Site Act
• Co-ordinating responsibility between various
  government agencies

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COH Charitable Trust / PBO

• Income generation
• Fundraising for social good purposes
• Income generation through a variety of business,
  tourism and educational facilities
• Income disbursement
• Operating, maintenance and capital replacement
  costs
• Disbursements for community benefits, scientific
  research and conservation efforts
• Non profit tax status
• Appointed Board of Directors

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Operational entity

• The PBO will enter into a long-term concession
  agreement with a selected partner. The
  consortium would take substantial business risk
  for the design, construction, exhibition
  installation and operation of the facilities, and
  would pay a concession fee to the PBO for the
  opportunity.

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Tourism strategy

• Visitor vision
• High quality palaeo-anthropological, cultural and
  eco-tourism
• Protection of the ecological integrity of the
  area
• Development of tourist nodes in identified low or
  moderate intensity use zones
• Provision of appropriate signage, facilities and
  infrastructure
• Requirements for visitor management
• Site protection
• Provision of a quality tourist experience without
  visitor saturation
• Improved access to the site
• Improved infrastructure, for transportation in
  particular

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Tourism strategy

• Must see for international visitors
• Must do for repeat visits for domestic tourism
  catchment
• Must do for school visits
• Unique destination of choice for conferencing,
  eventing and banqueting
• Niche destination for WHS tourists
• Niche destination for mid-interest and special
  interest tourism

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Tourism development plan

• Network of Interpretive Facilities /
  Interpretation Centre Complex
• Mohales Gate Major, world class Interpretation
  Centre
• Sterkfontein Primary Hominid orientation centre
• Orientation Centres and visitor information
  points with diverse tourism offerings to be
  developed as PPPs at various points around the
  site.

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Zonation Schedule

• The following zones apply, in order of
  sensitivity
• Palaeontological Zone relating primarily to the
  existing fossil sites and environs.
• Ridges and Wetland Zone identified for their
  ecological and visual sensitivity.
• Very low Intensity Use Zone Central catchment
  area, identified as an area of high conservation
  value e.g. near Bankenveld.
• Low Intensity Use Zone contains the sensitive
  fossil sites, but has been partially modified
  through subdivision.
• Moderate Intensity Use Zone highly subdivided
  zone, where the majority of existing uses are
  located.
• Corridor Zone aimed at controlling land uses
  along the main routes through the WHS.

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Medium term outlook

• Financial plan assumes visitor demand of 300
  000pa
• New information assumes visitor demand of 1 000
  000pa

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Planning progress

• 1999 / 2000
• Stakeholder identification and participation
  majority in-principle support.
• Development of proposed plans
• The World Heritage Listing of the Site
• 2000 / 2001
• Appointment and orientation of staff (September
  2000)
• Appointment of consultants for Masterplanning
  process
• Extensive public consultation
• 2001 /2002
• Production of masterplan
• Production of business plan
• Design and implementation plan for the
  Interpretation Centre Complex
• Tender procedures bids received
• Ongoing negotiations with the University of the
  Witwatersrand.

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Master plan reports completed

• Integrated Report for the Development and
  Management of the Cradle of Humankind World
  Heritage Site
• Interpretation Network Masterplan
• Tourism analysis
• Visitor survey
• Tourism master plan
• Infrastructure master plan
• Land use master plan
• Zonation master plan
• Specialist study on socio economic context
• Geohydrology status quo
• EIA guidelines
• Best Environmental Practice Guidelines
• Monitoring and Evaluation Programme
• Financial Analysis and Economic Benefit Report
• Financial model
• Conference centre operating model

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Additional outputs

• Policy and Manual on Tenure Security
• Draft plans for Community Benefits
• Initial scoping for a Skills Development and
  Employment programme
• Tender process for Cultural Resource Management
  Plans
• Development of Branding and Marketing
  opportunities
• Inter-governmental Housing Task Team set up
• Cultural Resource Management plans for fossil
  sites

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Progress with operational priorities 2002/3

• Commencement with
• Stakeholder participation communication
• Community benefits and training program
• Implement World Heritage Convention Act
• Environment Conservation activities
• Planning and initiation of WHS Interpretation
  Center Complex
• Upgrades to certain roads
• Signage (tourism)
• Marketing initiatives e.g. ads in newspapers,
  distribution of posters to all schools
• Field Guide
• Fire safety regime
• Management plans for each fossil site.

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Progress with operational priorities 2002/3 cont

• WSSD
• Development of Marketing and Branding
  opportunities
• Initial exploration of orientation centre
  possibilities
• Fundraising
• Staff expansion
• Establishment of Management Authority
• Setting up of secondary offices in Muldersdrift
• Sale of Merchandise and cost recovery
• Fossil site management plans and agreements with
  landowners

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Financial Sustainability investment for ICC

• Mohales Gate Interpretation Centre
• Ownership by Gauteng Provincial Government and
  nominal rental to the Charitable Trust / PBO
• Sterkfontein Orientation Centre
• Ownership by Wits and nominal rental to the
  Charitable Trust / PBO and disbursement of grants
  to the Scientific Trust
• It is not envisaged that DACEL or WITS will be
  involved in the day-to-day management or
  operations of the specific interpretive
  facilities.

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Tender process for the ICC

• Call for Expressions of Interest, published
  September 2001
• Request for Qualifications published - October
  2001
• Briefing sessions held 17 and 29 October 2001
• Closure for submissions 14 November 2001
• Adjudication process 19 November 2001
• 4 consortia shortlisted to bid for the Request
  for Proposals (RFP)
• RFP issued 15 March 2002
• Pre proposal meeting held 09 April 2002
• Proposals received 14 June 2002
• Initial scanning of proposals reveals that all
  four of them have material still necessary for
  completion.
• Furneaux Stewart GAPP appointed as preferred
  bidder.
• Target date for finalisation of contract
  negotiations for Mohales Gate and Sterkfontein
  Sites April 2003.

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Community Benefits programmes

• Investment in skills development for the growth
  of the tourism industry including
• Resource Management training
• Tourism Service Industry training
• Tour Guide training
• Skills training in infrastructive building and
  maintenance
• Establishment of an incentives program to
  leverage and reward private sector investment and
  local people using low interest and/or deferred
  payment schemes
• Land and housing opportunities
• Management Advisory Services
• Business Opportunities Assistance

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Community benefits

• Community benefits scheme to include
• Community Equity Partnership (CEP) to allow
  residents in the area to benefit economically
  through an equity share in the major
  interpretation centre (with equity for a tertiary
  institution as well).
• Land and housing resources (target 750 houses in
  1st three years)
• Environmental Management Services
• Site facility improvement assistance
• SMME training support financing assistance
• Resource management training and education
• Local employment preference policy linked to
  incentives
• Public sector led employment impacts (IC
  forecasts 1200 temp and 600 perm jobs) but many
  other spin off jobs created
• Tourism Service Industry training
• Contracts for local services
• Research grants
• Skills Development and Employment programme.

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Marketing and Tourism development

• Development of several high profile annual
  events
• Cycle Race
• Marathon
• Annual Cradle Lecture
• Book development
• Music and cultural event development
• Sustained advertising
• Media development videos, national competitions
• Development of Orientations Centres as PPPs