Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites

Brief synthesis The Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites, encapsulates the legacy of the South African liberation struggle of the 20th century. In this serial property the three tenets of human rights, liberation and reconciliation are inextricably bound together and overlapping the roles they played in the pursuit of peace and justice in South Africa. The interplay of these tenets paved the long road to freedom against the apartheid state. The struggle became known around the world which rallied behind those suffering and dehumanised by oppression. The serial property commemorates and celebrates the contribution of the struggle to human rights in a global context. Significantly, through its component parts and their symbolism, the World Heritage property foregrounds reconciliation as the bedrock of nation building. This serial property demonstrates the events, ideas and belief systems that were at the core of the liberation struggle in South Africa and which, a quarter century afterwards, continues to inspire humanity to adopt reconciliation. The particular legacy of the struggle lies in the connections and interactions between human rights, liberation and reconciliation and the firm belief that human rights fundamentally and inherently belong to all. From the outset it was understood that the struggle was against a system that fostered and entrenched oppression on the basis of racial discrimination, rather than against a demographically delineated group. Firmly espoused by leaders throughout the struggle, this notion paved the way for reconciliation. Each of the fourteen component parts relate to the tenets of human rights, liberation and reconciliation that interactively propelled the South African liberation struggle to its universally celebrated conclusion. Philosophies, such as non-racialism and Pan-Africanism persisted throughout the struggle, feeding into the vision that there should be a society based on human rights, where people are at peace with each other and in perpetual pursuit of equity and justice. The outlook of ubuntu implies that humanity is not embedded in an individual but is a quality that is bestowed upon one another. The philosophy of ubuntu was therefore taken as a guiding ideal for the transition from apartheid to the majority rule in South Africa. It ultimately led to reconciliation between opposing parties that provided a basis for the building of a new society. This is demonstrated by the adoption of ubuntu into the Epilogue of the Interim Constitution of South Africa (1993) that “there is a need for understanding but not for vengeance, a need for reparation but not retaliation, a need for ubuntu and not for victimisation”. The South African liberation struggle gave rise to exceptional African leaders, such as Nelson Mandela, an international symbol whose life is associated with the three tenets of human rights, liberation and reconciliation. This is illustrated by the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, including the establishment of a global Nelson Mandela Day. The South African liberation struggle is recognised as an outstanding example of how the relationships between human rights, liberation and reconciliation interactively drove a globally supported struggle to its conclusion. The struggle is also a globally celebrated example of how the collective adherence to a common set of values and the resultant “coming together” of all its people turned a country away from the abyss, instead providing a framework within which a better life for all can be pursued. Criterion (vi): The component parts of the serial property are places of memory that are directly and tangibly associated with events and ideas of outstanding universal significance. The South African struggle against apartheid was the longest sustained struggle in modern times and involved the global community. What characterised the struggle most strongly, and what sets it apart from others, are the ideals that underpinned its activities – human rights, liberation and reconciliation, the principles of ubuntu – and how these came to be so strongly espoused through the leadership and influence of Nelson Mandela. The fourteen component parts directly and tangibly reflect the struggle and its underlying ideals and commemorate and anchor collective memories that bear powerful testimony to human rights based on the shared values of dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. Integrity Although some remain in their original state and others have been renovated, the fourteen component parts demonstrate integrity in relation to the Outstanding Universal Value. Each component part contributes to different aspects of the history of the struggle for liberation, while also demonstrating the three key themes of human rights, liberation and reconciliation. All of the component parts are protected. Issues with the state of conservation and security for several of the component parts including the Shapeville Policy Station (003), Walter Sisulu Square (002), Z.K. Matthews House (012) and the Great Place at Mqhiekezweni (014) should be addressed. Authenticity As places of memory associated with recent conflicts, the authenticity of each of the fourteen component parts has been established in terms of their extensive historical documentation and memorialisation. Together, these sites represent key events and ideas that span eight decades of the South African liberation struggle. These sites provide powerful expressions of the values, courage and persistence that led to a globally recognised triumph against adversity, illustrating the spectrum of the processes of liberation and achievement of freedom through the attainment of human rights and reconciliation in South Africa. The authenticity of some component parts is vulnerable due to deterioration, vandalism and security concerns, and such issues should be addressed. Protection and management requirements All fourteen component parts are protected as national heritage sites under the National Heritage Resources Act, No. 25 (NHRA, 1999), supported by a framework of laws, regulations and planning instruments relating to heritage, conservation, and environmental protection. The World Heritage Convention Act, No. 49 (1999) enables South Africa to meet its obligations under the World Heritage Convention. This law establishes the South African World Heritage Convention Committee (SAWHCC), requires management authorities to be established for each World Heritage property, and requires the development of Integrated Management Plans. Each component part has its own management authority that reports to an overarching World Heritage Management Authority. There is an overarching Integrated Conservation Management Plan as well as management plans for each component part. These should be further developed to specify the required approaches to conservation and provide more detail about planned conservation and monitoring actions. All proposals for development or change require a permit from the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). Provisions for Heritage Impact Assessment will be applied to all new proposals for development and/or memorialisation in the component parts, buffer zones and wider settings. Buffer zones have been established for all but one of the component parts, and consultative processes to consider mechanisms for strengthening the protection and management of buffer zones (including Heritage Areas) should be continued. Some aspects of the management system require additional development, such as the risk preparedness strategy, and improved indicators for monitoring of the state of conservation of the component parts so that trends can be discerned and addressed through the management system. Interpretation is in place at some of the component parts. An overarching strategy and plan are needed for interpretation that incorporate a continuing dialogue and divergent perspectives, and provide actions for education, sustainable tourism and visitor management. The interpretation strategy should provide common standards and presentation of the sites as a coherent whole, giving consideration to the different carrying capacities of each of the component parts. The continued development and implementation of the Stakeholder Involvement Strategy and Action Plan are essential for respecting and maintaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the serial property.