Letters of support for Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains World Heritage Site

  • June 22nd, 2020

Those committed individuals behind the development of the Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail and the proclamation of the Barberton Makhonjwa World Heritage Site, need you help if you wish to see this unique area being preserved.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries published a notice on 29th May 2020 of its intention to proclaim certain land to be designated as the World Heritage Site, supporters (and objectors) of the site have 30 days from date of publication of the notice (i.e.until 28 June 2020) to submit comments and inputs in writing.

If you have not responded but would like to, please do so as soon as possible. If you do not respond, the lack of evident support for the BMM WHS proclamation may cause our pro-mining State to reconsider their earlier decision to ask for World Heritage status.

We can be sure that mining interests will be responding and we know they are concerned about the freezing of all mineral resources within the WHS boundaries. Their response is very likely to object to this proclamation: strong support is therefore vital and I urge each one of you with an interest in long-term tourism development as the basis for our local economy in the future to act decisively and urgently to register support for this long-awaited event.

Please feel free to forward this to others with a common interest and encourage them to also write in support. If you need ideas and ‘quotable quotes’ to include in your response, please visit the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains WHS and Geotrail on the web. All the formal UNESCO documents and much more are freely available on various web sites.

The DEFF notice is attached to this mail.

To submit comments see below:

By Post: The Director- General: Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Attention: Mr Sydney Nkosi Private Bag X447 PRETORIA 0001

By Hand: Environment House, 473 Steve Biko Road, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0083.

By Email: tntloko@environment.gov.za or gmayile@environment.gov.za

Thank you for your support.