Minister Moosa's address at the official ceremony of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Maloti-Drakensberg transfrontier and development area, Sehlabathebe, Lesotho, 11 June 2001

MONDAY, 11JUNE 2001: Last year in December, the South African side of the Maloti-Drakensberg mountain was inscribed as a World Heritage Site, which did not only leave us proud but imposed huge responsibilities on us. Today, as we sign this memorandum of understanding, we are once again proud and alive to the responsibilities of what the establishment of the transfrontier conservation area (TFCA) means to us.

The Maloti-Drakensberg TFCA should be an icon of our two countries' joint commitment to the principle of sustainable development, primary to that, in today's context, being the integration of biodiversity conservation and development. Its signing will restore the pride of a mountain divided by decades of colonialism.

The framework within which we move forward from today should be one that commits us to give full attention to the acceleration of economic growth, improves the living conditions of the poor majority, while ensuring the conservation, sustainable and equitable use of our natural resources.

The development of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area as an integrative programme provides opportunities and challenges of sustainable development and is a fitting contribution to the Millennium Africa Recovery Programme (MAP) as well as to regional solidarity.

Maloti-Drakensberg TFCA

When we speak of the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains, it must be understood that this unique environment is shared by two countries, and its future sustainability is inextricably linked to the fortunes of the communities and economies of both Lesotho and South Africa. It is a watershed that defines the international boundary that divides the people politically, economically, culturally and in many other ways.

Therefore, the memorandum of understanding today does not create something totally new -- it simply calls us to action to protect, develop and utilise this beautiful creation of nature to the best benefit of the peoples of our countries.

A World Heritage Site

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia and the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru are the two other sites of equal popularity to the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg.

Being listed as a mixed site, with both natural and cultural characteristics, its listing makes it one of the 23 sites in only 14 countries worldwide that have this status.

There are a number of advantages that go with inscription of sites on the World Heritage List, for example, international technical and financial assistance on the management of sites, and the prestige of having a site listed among the best-known heritage sites in the world, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

The ratification of this convention by Lesotho will not only open possibilities for the World Heritage Site to be extended into Lesotho, but will strengthen cooperation. It is a unique development where a transfrontier conservation area is also a World Heritage Site, making it the first of its kind.

Maloti-Drakensberg Spatial Development Initiative

The objective of the spatial development initiative (SDI) is to unlock economic and social development. The area has unlimited potential for ecotourism and cultural tourism, and the development of road and tourism infrastructure through investment by the two governments is key to unlocking community-based enterprise development and tourism, as well as direct employment in the labour-intensive construction sector.

To achieve some of the above objectives, the SDI will focus on the coordination of role-players, identification and appraisal of tourism anchor projects, assessment of the tourism investment climate in the SDI/TFCA catchment area, and tourism marketing.

The relationship between South Africa and Lesotho needs to be strengthened to ensure the successful implementation of integrated tourism development programmes to generate significant private investment in tourism facilities and products.

Global Environmental Facility support

Without the support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in the form of a $15m (approximately R100m) financial commitment over a period of five years, today's gathering would have been yet another wild African wish.

Biodiversity issues are a matter of national, regional and global concern, and with the majority of people and countries in the SADC region being poor, this TFCA will certainly promote economic development while addressing poverty and sustainable livelihoods.

The countries with the greatest biodiversity are concentrated in the developing countries. (Only one of the eight countries that are home to the largest number of native mammal species is industrial. Of the countries with more than 10 000 species of higher plants, 18 out of 20 are developing countries and 12 of the 17 countries with more than 5 000 threatened species of higher plants are in the developed world - World Development Report 2000.)

Developing countries are thus key to meeting the goals set at the Rio Summit and by the Convention on Biological Diversity, which recognises economic and social development as the top priority for developing countries.

When we gather in Johannesburg next year for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, we must be the best examples of successful sustainable development programmes and action, and today takes us closer to being that best.