SATURDAY, 17 MARCH 2001: The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, today announced a grant of US$15,5 million from the Global Environmental Facility for the development of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA), a cross-boundary environmental collaboration programme with the government of Lesotho. A detailed agreement for this TFCA will be finalise in August this year.

"The development of TFCAs is part of the overarching programme of our government to bring down political fences when it comes to the conservation and protection of our environment," Moosa said at the official unveiling of the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg World Heritage Park, which was inscribed in December as South Africa's fourth World Heritage Site.

Moosa was speaking at the opening of the revamped Giant Castle Camp in the Drakensberg, where he remarked that the ratification of the World Heritage Convention and the continued inscription of South Africa's natural and cultural jewels were indicative of the country's commitment to the protection of its heritage for the benefit of future generations.

Challenging the imbalance of World Heritage Site listings, he said: "As a member of the G77, our government is committed to encouraging other African states to ratify the convention and submit their heritage sites for inscription. We need to address the imbalance on the list -- Africa has only 83 out of 630 listings." He further called upon all African states to ratify the World Heritage Convention as a matter of urgency.