16 DECEMBER 1999.
Master of Ceremonies;
The Honourable Premier;
Members of the Royal House present;
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Ngubane;
All other ministers present; AmaKhosi; Community leaders;
Distinguished Guests to the Province of KwaZulu Natal;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
We have come together today to celebrate, against this beautiful background, the declaration of the Greater St. Lucia wetlands Park as a World Heritage Site and the Festival of Living Treasures. The declaration of the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands as world Heritage Site no. 914 and the Festival of Living Treasures mark a new beginning - the start of the exploration & conservation of the "intellectual property" of the people of this region and their economic empowerment.
We as South Africans have always known that the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands is a very special place. Now this area has been recognised by the world - as a place of outstanding cultural and natural value - and places the Wetlands in the company of the world's great natural and cultural icons such as Australia's Great Barrier Reef and America's Yellow Stone National Park.
It also stresses the grave responsibility we have as custodians of this special place. Our duty as South Africans is to protect the heritage of the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands not only for our own people but for all humanity.
St. Lucia's great beauty is contrasted, at the same time, with stark poverty and underdevelopment, where decades of neglect have stunted the great potential of its people. Over 95% of homesteads earn less than R450 per month.
It is this co-existence of beauty and poverty that constitutes the great challenge to this region; to use the natural beauty of the place to bring reconstruction and development to the people of Maputaland. The listing of World Heritage site no. 914 should therefore be seen not as an end but as a new beginning to many ends. This is part of a broader perspective that we as Africans bring to our heritage sites; our duty is not just to conserve our special places but also to develop them for the benefit of our people. We cannot allow our heritage areas to be locked away for the benefit of a few.
The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands is here to be used wisely for future generations. And in an African context, wise use means balancing development and conservation; development that brings new wealth and jobs to the ordinary people of Maputaland without destroying the great beauty of the region.
As President Mbeki stated when launching the Lubombo SDI's Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park Infrastructure Programme earlier this month, "the progress we are making in St. Lucia should be seen as part of government's broader commitment to promote job creation through putting in place an enabling environment for sustainable development."
The entire SDI process is in fact one of the clearest programmes in line with the government's policy of integrated rural development which aims at changing the quality of life of people living in rural areas.
We are particularly happy that issues of land claims have been addressed and that there has been a greater degree of co-operation between the co-ordinators and the community members.
I say this because, given our history, the manner in which the land question was handled in the previous administrations, at times tends to undermine the speed with which development takes place in areas such as these, because perceptions and suspicions at times dominate the process of interaction.At the heart of the SDI delivery programme is the development of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park authority and tendering of lead investments. While the Great St. Lucia Wetland Park has the potential to offer a world-class combination of land, fresh water and marine activities, its fragmented ownership and management have meant that it has remained severely underdeveloped.
This is exacerbated by commercial afforestation on the Easter and Western shores, the impact of land claims on investor confidence and the SANDF Hell's gate base. What could be one of the world's great destinations, combining the Big Five with beaches, lakes, forests and coral reefs, has remained an under performing patchwork suffering from a lack of infrastructure and co-ordinated development.
To accelerate development, create sustainable jobs and create the conditions for the establishment of an internationally competitive tourism destination in line with best international practice, government is establishing a dedicated development Authority for the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. This institution will be responsible for the development and management of the park.
Sixteen different parcels of land will be consolidated under a certificate of uniform title. The Authority will be a separate legal entity enabled by the new World Heritage Act no. 49 of 1999. Its structure is designed to balance responsible environmental management with optimal tourism and local economic development. For the first time Local govenrment and local structures will be empowered in a meaningful way by participating in policy and decision making in the park.
The Authority will also be charged with the execution of South Africa's obligations under the World Heritage Convention, and the continued conservation of the area. KZN Conservation Service will be appointed the day-to-day conservation manager.
One of the key potential development areas is Cultural Tourism. Cultural Tourism will attract the sort of investment that creates work without spoiling the natural beauty & resources of the region. Increasingly, tourists & travellers are searching for a unique "cultural experience".The people of the Maputaland region know that they have an abundance of untapped natural resources to share that provide endless possibilities for them.
This Festival marks the beginning of the celebration of cultural tourism - the start of the exploration and conservation of the "intellectual property" of the people of Northern KwaZulu Natal.
The Festival is not just about today's events - it is about a process that has brought together the historically divided people of the region and united them in a common vision. I am told that through this process, young people in the region have been empowered to help manage and run many aspects of this prestigious international Festival.
Furthermore a number of local people have been trained to act as "Safety & Security" marshals & first Aid Buddies, to cater and to provide accommodation facilities & the collection & recycling of waste. I am told also that local people have also been involved in the construction of the festival infrastructure including the stage and have been trained to maintain and operate this for future events.
Let us now begin the celebration of this new beginning. Without further hesitation, I formally declare the St. Lucia Wetlands Festival of Living Treasure open.
Congratulations to the people of KwaZulu-Natal for giving us this spectacular event which will make the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands a unique destination for cultural, ecological and recreational tourism as we enter the new Millennium. I challenge visitors and residents of our province to discover the spirit that stirs the sould of Africa in the vast and majestic Kingdom of the Zulu at the start of the new Millennium.
WOZANI. OUR KINGDOM CALLS!!
I thank you.