The South African Department of Environmental Affairs, South African National Parks and Coal of Africa Limited signed an historical memorandum of agreement as part of the environmental authorization issued in accordance with section 24G of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No 107 of 1998) to ensure the integrity of the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site on September 1st 2011 in Pretoria.
Amongst others, according to the MoA, the integrity of the World Heritage Site will be maintained through comprehensive biodiversity offsets programs, thereby optimizing benefits to local communities.
In the context of this MoA, the parties agree to:
Promote alliances in the management of natural and cultural resources
Ensure compliance with the provisions of the MoA
Encourage social, economic and other partnerships among stakeholders
Promote integrated planning, research, education, awareness and capacity building
Collaborate in formulating detailed biodiversity offsets programs and implementation plans
Provide adequate financial, human and other resources for the effective implementation of the MoA
Regarding the detailed biodiversity offsets programs to be developed, the MoA states that the programs will be underpinned by, amongst others, the following components:
Natural heritage conservation
Cultural heritage conservation
Tourism development
Water resource management
These components for offsets will be translated into more comprehensive programs and implementation plans. To ensure implementation of the MoA, the establishment of an environmental management committee or steering committee, as well as relevant sub committees, is envisaged.
Further, the parties to the MoA agree to:
Ensure periodic review and updating of the biodiversity offsets programs and implementation plans
Ensure effective participation of other key stakeholders, including government and non governmental organizations, communities, landowners, the academic community and the private sector at international, national and local levels in the implementation of the MoA
Develop means whereby local communities sustainably benefit from the use of natural and cultural resources occurring within the World Heritage Site
