Date: 19/10/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Signing of partnership on developing Cradle of Humankind
SPEECH BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF A PARTNERSHIP ON THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND, Sandton Convention Centre, 19 October 2003
MEC Metcalfe
MEC Fowler
Vice Chancellor of Wits University
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is the most extraordinary irony, that here, in our country, where so much blood has been spilled, and so much pain and suffering caused because of a spurious racial philosophy which assumed that blacks were descendants of baboons while whites were descendants of God, we find the best evidence in the world that, regardless of race and religion, we all share the same common ancestry. We can now, without any shadow of doubt or fear of contradiction say that indeed, we are one. That indeed Africa is the home of all human ancestors.
In 1947, Dr Robert Broom discovered the perfect parts of a skull at Sterkfontein caves described as "the most perfect pre-human skull ever found." A year later, apartheid as we came to know it became the doctrine and policy of the National Party. Mrs Ples must have been smiling in her grave as her descendants denied that they together with blacks whom they sought to suppress were not related, but came from the same source.
In 1976, students around the country rose against apartheid policies especially in education. Four years later, a foot embedded in breccia was discovered in Sterkfontein. Again, Mrs Ples must have laughed her lungs out as her descendants sought to provide inferior education to her other descendants - again denying that we were not only related, but were from the same source.
We should all pay tribute to those great pioneers of science, Raymond Dart, Robert Broom, Phillip Tobias, Alan Hughes, Ron Clarke and his assistants Stephen Motsumi and Nkwane Molefe and many, many others whose work and sheer dedication has brought the wonders of the Cradle of Humankind to light and to understanding. Without them, Africa would still be regarded as a dark continent, known only for conflicts and wars.
Human beings have always and will always ponder their beginnings. From the creation myths in the sacred books of the world's great religions to the stories told on our grandmother's knee and passed on from generation to generation, we are all fascinated by where we come from. At worst, this can lead to narrow racial or nationalistic theories of superiority placing one race above another. At best, the stories can lead the mind towards the highest aspirations of the human spirit.
That is why we should all cherish the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site as a place for discovery, for reflection, for analysis and the advancement of science. We should regard it as a place where the highest elements in the human spirit are treasured and prized and sought after. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is not a place where we visit to look at old bones, no matter how important and fascinating these might be. It is a place where the human condition, in all its glory, in all its tragedy, in all its potential needs to be considered, celebrated and nurtured for future generations.
It must be a place where human development is celebrated, from our earliest beginnings to a future which, from where we are at the moment, we can only dream of and strive for.
While these findings predate the 1994 democratic dispensation, the previous government, could not bring itself to nurture, develop and promote these scientific findings. Instead of seeing them for what they are - evidence that life began in Africa - they saw them as a challenge to their policy of separation and exclusion. For indeed, they did call into question the validity of their so-called "Christian National Education."
For 47 years, they avoided dealing with the discoveries because they counted decisively against almost everything they were trying to achieve - the separation of races based on the supposed inferiority of the one and the supposed superiority of the other.
The current democratic dispensation is based on building a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa. It is based on celebrating our unity and diversity. It is based on celebrating our history, arts, culture, science and heritage.
Hence since 1994, the Gauteng Provincial Government has embraced these scientific findings. Together with the world community -which through UNESCO has agreed to list it as a World Heritage Site - we see it as one of the greatest treasures on the planet. It is a place of undisputed outstanding universal value. It is a place of national and international pride.
In order to preserve the site for continued scientific study and to develop the site for increased visitor enjoyment, the Gauteng Provincial Government has made available R347 million. The bulk of this money is to be used for infrastructural improvements, to ensure access, improve services and to ensure that no undesirable development takes place.
To enhance the site and open it up for the world community, a major Interpretation Centre Complex will be built at Mohale's Gate, which is situated 7km from Sterkfontein, and an orientation centre at the Sterkfontein site.
This is the major reason why we are here this morning. We are here to sign historic agreements with Wits University and the Furneaux Stewart GAPP Consortium respectively.
The agreement with Wits University cements a partnership which has been in the making since 1994 for the development of the area and the promotion of scientific work now and in the future.
The contract with The Furneaux Stewart GAPP Consortium is based on a very clear contractual understanding that they need to build us an icon and not simply a building. What they build needs to be exciting, different and enthralling so that tourists from all over the country and all over the world will want to visit it again and again. We believe that this is precisely what they are going to do. That is why we chose them as the successful bidder in this transaction.
In addition, we want them to run it in a way that will ensure maximum revenue and benefits for them, communities, the country and continent and support continuing scientific work.
Today marks the beginning of a project which is going to create sustainable jobs and protect a site of world significance. It will also guarantee that scientific work, begun so long ago, gets supported and carried forward to future generations.
Today marks a giant leap forward for African pride in our origins as human beings. Today celebrates just how much Africa has given the world community and what a huge debt the world community owes to Africa as the cradle of our human existence.
Issued by the Gauteng Provincial Government, 19 October 2003
Source: SAPA
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Signing of partnership on developing Cradle of Humankind
SPEECH BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA ON THE OCCASION OF THE SIGNING OF A PARTNERSHIP ON THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND, Sandton Convention Centre, 19 October 2003
MEC Metcalfe
MEC Fowler
Vice Chancellor of Wits University
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is the most extraordinary irony, that here, in our country, where so much blood has been spilled, and so much pain and suffering caused because of a spurious racial philosophy which assumed that blacks were descendants of baboons while whites were descendants of God, we find the best evidence in the world that, regardless of race and religion, we all share the same common ancestry. We can now, without any shadow of doubt or fear of contradiction say that indeed, we are one. That indeed Africa is the home of all human ancestors.
In 1947, Dr Robert Broom discovered the perfect parts of a skull at Sterkfontein caves described as "the most perfect pre-human skull ever found." A year later, apartheid as we came to know it became the doctrine and policy of the National Party. Mrs Ples must have been smiling in her grave as her descendants denied that they together with blacks whom they sought to suppress were not related, but came from the same source.
In 1976, students around the country rose against apartheid policies especially in education. Four years later, a foot embedded in breccia was discovered in Sterkfontein. Again, Mrs Ples must have laughed her lungs out as her descendants sought to provide inferior education to her other descendants - again denying that we were not only related, but were from the same source.
We should all pay tribute to those great pioneers of science, Raymond Dart, Robert Broom, Phillip Tobias, Alan Hughes, Ron Clarke and his assistants Stephen Motsumi and Nkwane Molefe and many, many others whose work and sheer dedication has brought the wonders of the Cradle of Humankind to light and to understanding. Without them, Africa would still be regarded as a dark continent, known only for conflicts and wars.
Human beings have always and will always ponder their beginnings. From the creation myths in the sacred books of the world's great religions to the stories told on our grandmother's knee and passed on from generation to generation, we are all fascinated by where we come from. At worst, this can lead to narrow racial or nationalistic theories of superiority placing one race above another. At best, the stories can lead the mind towards the highest aspirations of the human spirit.
That is why we should all cherish the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site as a place for discovery, for reflection, for analysis and the advancement of science. We should regard it as a place where the highest elements in the human spirit are treasured and prized and sought after. The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is not a place where we visit to look at old bones, no matter how important and fascinating these might be. It is a place where the human condition, in all its glory, in all its tragedy, in all its potential needs to be considered, celebrated and nurtured for future generations.
It must be a place where human development is celebrated, from our earliest beginnings to a future which, from where we are at the moment, we can only dream of and strive for.
While these findings predate the 1994 democratic dispensation, the previous government, could not bring itself to nurture, develop and promote these scientific findings. Instead of seeing them for what they are - evidence that life began in Africa - they saw them as a challenge to their policy of separation and exclusion. For indeed, they did call into question the validity of their so-called "Christian National Education."
For 47 years, they avoided dealing with the discoveries because they counted decisively against almost everything they were trying to achieve - the separation of races based on the supposed inferiority of the one and the supposed superiority of the other.
The current democratic dispensation is based on building a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa. It is based on celebrating our unity and diversity. It is based on celebrating our history, arts, culture, science and heritage.
Hence since 1994, the Gauteng Provincial Government has embraced these scientific findings. Together with the world community -which through UNESCO has agreed to list it as a World Heritage Site - we see it as one of the greatest treasures on the planet. It is a place of undisputed outstanding universal value. It is a place of national and international pride.
In order to preserve the site for continued scientific study and to develop the site for increased visitor enjoyment, the Gauteng Provincial Government has made available R347 million. The bulk of this money is to be used for infrastructural improvements, to ensure access, improve services and to ensure that no undesirable development takes place.
To enhance the site and open it up for the world community, a major Interpretation Centre Complex will be built at Mohale's Gate, which is situated 7km from Sterkfontein, and an orientation centre at the Sterkfontein site.
This is the major reason why we are here this morning. We are here to sign historic agreements with Wits University and the Furneaux Stewart GAPP Consortium respectively.
The agreement with Wits University cements a partnership which has been in the making since 1994 for the development of the area and the promotion of scientific work now and in the future.
The contract with The Furneaux Stewart GAPP Consortium is based on a very clear contractual understanding that they need to build us an icon and not simply a building. What they build needs to be exciting, different and enthralling so that tourists from all over the country and all over the world will want to visit it again and again. We believe that this is precisely what they are going to do. That is why we chose them as the successful bidder in this transaction.
In addition, we want them to run it in a way that will ensure maximum revenue and benefits for them, communities, the country and continent and support continuing scientific work.
Today marks the beginning of a project which is going to create sustainable jobs and protect a site of world significance. It will also guarantee that scientific work, begun so long ago, gets supported and carried forward to future generations.
Today marks a giant leap forward for African pride in our origins as human beings. Today celebrates just how much Africa has given the world community and what a huge debt the world community owes to Africa as the cradle of our human existence.
Issued by the Gauteng Provincial Government, 19 October 2003
Source: SAPA
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