UNESCO and its agencies' impact on cultural policy frameworks in Africa: a study of Mapungubwe World Heritage Site in South Africa

摘要

ABSTRACTudUNESCO’s World Heritage Convention of 1972 has set the standard for the evaluation,udpreservation and conservation of World Heritage Sites (WHS) globally. The role and function ofudUNESCO in the cultural heritage sector in Africa, in particular cannot be denied. However, theudWorld Heritage Convention (WHC) site management requirements for African States that areudparties to the Convention, presents challenges in terms of implementation. This is due in mostudcases, to lack of infrastructure, deficient national policy structures, poor legislation, badudmanagement and poor implementation. This is particularly the case in developing countries whereudgovernments are grappling with socio-economic and political challenges. Questions are raisedudabout who has the right to define heritage, and what kinds of parameters are used to measureudWorld Heritage of ‘‘universal’’ value. Is it appropriate for UNESCO to recommend a set ofudstandards that have become a lens through which global cultural heritage policy is viewed andudmeasured? What then are the implications for African sites for being listed as World Heritage, andudwhat are their chances of competing in the global cultural arena based on the challengesudmentioned above?udThis research report, through a study of the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape in the LimpopoudProvince of South Africa, attempts to grapple with aspects of the questions raised above, andudseeks to illustrate the challenges of managing a World Heritage Site. It highlights the gaps betweenudWHC requirements, national cultural policy legislation, infrastructural and human resourceudincapacity, and implementation by the management at the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site