The debate in Africa around mining, heritage and communities continues. The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) says the continent faces a serious crisis that requires the intervention of mining, environment and community stakeholders. Africa’s people have pronounced that the “rights and benefits from minerals extracted from our sites also belong to communities living in and around the sites”. The AWHF has established a platform for mining companies to showcase their commitment to Africa’s people and environment, for an information sharing initiative, by producing a coffee table book of the “World Heritage Sites in Africa”.

AWHF says the purpose of the book is to:

• Highlight Africa’s World Heritage Sites, places of Outstanding Universal Value
• Showcase the mining companies that work in a symbiotic relationship with Africa’s environment and communities.

This book will be launched at the Africa Mining Indaba in February 2013 in Cape Town, where all eyes will be on the African continent, mining and its people. The African Mining Indaba attracts an audience of 7000+ international mining delegates and various Mining Ministers.

The AWHF has been mandated by the African Union (AU) and UNESCO – World Heritage to ensure that development in the mining industry is managed with sustainability and people in the process.  As a Pan-African organisation the AWHF reports to the AU parliament and UNESCO-WH, which include all African State Parties, World Heritage Category 2 Centres and WH Experts in the world.

At the recent Living with World Heritage conference hosted by the SA Government, UNESCO-WH and AU, in conjunction with the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF). Minister Paul Mashatile, on behalf of all the stakeholders, summarised the unanimous decision on Mining, Heritage and People in Africa as follows:  “Africa…….. needs to continue working together to ensure conservation and management of our world heritage sites. We cannot continue to be dictated upon on issues that affect us!” This conference pronounced that the rights and benefits from minerals extracted from our heritage sites also belong to communities living in and around the sites.