Issued by: The Presidency
30 August 2002
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa will on Sunday, September 1 2002, host President Thabo Mbeki as well as United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, near Krugersdorp.
More than 200 other guests will attend and witness the Presidential Party commit themselves to safeguarding the future of humanity and the planet.
The day's programme begins with President Mbeki and Mr Annan going into the Sterkfontein Cave to see an almost complete hominid skeleton believed to be some 3.3 million years old - the only complete find to date of a human ancestor, called "Littlefoot".
The delegation will then proceed to Makiti Conference Centre, about 300 metres from Sterkfontein at which President Mbeki will present a short address to the waiting guests.
ENTRANCE WILL BE LIMITED TO INVITED MEDIA ONLY
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Background
Cradle of Humankind - Home of our Ancestors
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is a site of universal significance. It is a large, 47 000ha site in Gauteng Province, in which some of the most significant fossil remains have been found of our earliest human ancestors.
The first almost complete Australopithecine skull, the famous "Mrs Ples" was found at Sterkfontein in 1947.
More recently, an almost complete hominid skeleton - the only complete find to date of a human ancestor, called "Littlefoot" was found, dating some 3.3 million years old.
This skull is presently being excavated from the rock. The lithicultural remains and fossils of other plants, animals and pollen give a complete picture of hominids and their surroundings dating back over 3,3 million years. The richness and variety of these deposits, their excellent preservation in the caves and the age of the specimens, makes this an area of world significance.
Africa, undoubtedly, has given birth to the race we call human. Our ancestors, no matter who we are, and no matter where we live, no matter what colour we are, no matter what language we speak - they all come from the soil of Africa.