SOUTH AFRICA`S UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF WILDERNESS
by Sonja Krûeger and John Crowson
October 2003

Introduction
Whilst the United States of America prepares to celebrate 40 years of its *Wilderness Act during 2004, South Africa is currently celebrating 30 years of wilderness proclamation in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site (UDP WHS).

Proclamation of wilderness in South Africa was based on the United States of America’s Wilderness Act of 1964. The South African Department of Forestry managed the majority of the catchment areas in the Drakensberg mountains of the KwaZulu-Natal province. During the 1970’s, the Secretary for the Department of Forestry (Mr. D. Ackerman), encouraged the designation of wilderness areas in South Africa. Since most of the land managed by the Department of Forestry still retained much of its original character, he was determined to ensure the long term protection of these wild areas for the benefit all South Africans.

During 1973, the first three wilderness areas were proclaimed in South Africa in terms of the provisions of the National Forests Act of 1968. The first two wilderness areas to be proclaimed were Mdedelelo (27 000 ha) and Mkhomazi (48 000 ha) (Government Notice 791 of 1973). Then followed the proclamation of the Cedarberg wilderness in the mountains of the Western Cape province.

South Africa’s first two proclaimed wilderness areas occur in the UDP WHS.

The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site
The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is an inland mountain range in south-eastern Africa (Figure 1) which received World Heritage Status in 1999 for both its natural and cultural values. The UDP WHS comprises 12 component protected areas (referred to as reserves) totalling 242 813 ha. All the land comprising the UDP WHS is state-owned. The land is managed by a provinsional conservation body, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, who are also the proposed management authority of the World Heritage Site. The UDP WHS also forms part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area, and shares its borders with three provinces of South Africa and an international border with Lesotho.

The mean annual temperature of the Drakensberg is about 16oC and the annual precipitation totals vary between about 1000 mm in the foothills to 1800 mm at the escarpment. Precipitation occurs predominantly (70%) in the summer months (November to March). Snowfalls, with an average frequency of about eight days of snowfall per year, occur in winter, predominantly at high elevations. With altitudes varying from 1280 m to nearly 3 500 m, a range of 2 200 m, the Drakensberg has a great variation in its topography,with summit plateaux and peaks, vast basalt and sandstone cliffs, deep valleys and intervening spurs.

The UDP WHS is the largest protected area established on the Great Escarpment of the southern African subcontinent (KZN NCS, 2000). This escarpment formation, which includes the Drakensberg Escarpment component, is intimately linked to the geomorphic history of the subcontinent and the fragmentation of the Gondwana supercontinent. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest and most spectacular expression in the form of the Drakensberg Mountains that lie within the UDP WHS. The UDP WHS contains landscapes and features of exceptional natural beauty and the geomorphological processes by which they were formed are of universal importance.

Biological Value
Also of outstanding universal importance are the mountain and wetland ecosystems (the UDP WHS was proclaimed a Ramsar site in 1997) with their full complement of plants and animals with many endemic and internationally recognised threatened species. The UDP WHS is an outstanding example of one of the few high mountain grassland areas within the African Grassland Biome sufficiently large enough for the existing and original ecological and biological processes to operate without interference (KZN NCS, 2000).

The habitat within the UDP WHS ranges in diversity from the high altitude mountain peaks and summit plateaux with their diverse vegetation communities including the unique alpine tundra (fynbos types), to the steep slopes in mid-altitude areas supporting a wide variety of grassland, fynbos scrubland and woodland vegetation communities, to the lower lying areas in river valleys which contain various grassland and forest vegetation communities. Found within these habitats is a remarkable richness of plant and animal species.

The UDP WHS is located within the Drakensberg Alpine Region, a centre of plant diversity and endemism. A total of 2 153 species of plants have been recorded for the UDP WHS with a endemism percentage of 29,5%, and 109 listed threatened species per Red Data Book category (Hilton-Taylor, 1996; Walter and Gillett, 1997).

The UDP WHS is considered to be one of the eight major centres of herpetofauna diversity in southern Africa (Branch, 1998) and contains four local endemics and 40 South African endemic species. A total of 296 bird species have been recorded for the UDP WHS (Johnson, pers, comm.) of which 43 are southern African endemics and 32 species are endemic to South Africa. Some 18 species recorded for the UDP WHS are listed in the South African Red Data Book as threatened species, such as the endangered Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus (Figure 2). There are 48 species of mammals occurring in the UDP WHS. Although the invertebrate fauna are poorly known, studies that have been undertaken on several taxa, have found palaeogenic insects unique to South Africa and particularly to the Drakensberg mountain region, as well as many species endemic to the region.

Cultural Value
In addition to its natural values, the UDP WHS is globally significant from a cultural aspect, in particular the rock art painted by the San hunter-gatherers who inhabited the area from about 8000 years ago (KZN NCS, 2000). The uniqueness of the San rock art is evidenced by the diverse subject matter, the minute detail portrayed, the art techniques, and the animation and variety of positions depicted, as well as the remarkable state of preservation. The number of sites is estimated at 600 and the number of individual images in those sites probably exceeds 35 000.

In addition, numerous historic sites, living cultural sites and sites of archaeological importance are located within the UDP WHS. These sites include old grave sites, painted shelters and various artefacts. The Drakensberg region ranks as one of the most important archaeological areas in southern Africa. Archaeological sites from the Early, Middle and Late Stone Ages, and the Late Iron Age are present, indicating that the period of human occupation in this mountainous region possibly extends over the last million years.

Recreational Value
There are 15 entrance gates to the UDP WHS where members of the public enter either as day or overnight visitors. Overnight visitors can make use of hutted accommodation, camping facilities, caves and mountain huts. The UDP WHS can accommodate approximately 2 000 persons per night.

The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Wilderness Resource

Almost the entire area of the UDP WHS is in an unmodified, near-pristine condition. The UDP WHS, although used by man for a long time, has never been occupied by significantly large human settlements, nor has the area been subjected to significant man-induced land disturbances.

It is estimated that the total area of the UDP WHS transformed by both alien plant infestation and infrastructural development is approximately 1,4% of the area (3 452 ha). The natural ecological and geomorphological processes therefore function with little or no significant detrimental interference by the activities of man. Where there have been impacts, the UDP WHS management approach is to restore such areas to their former status (Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, 2003).

Apart from the 30 year old Mdedelelo and Mkhomazi wilderness areas, the UDP WHS also contains the Mzimkulu, 28 340 ha (1979) and Mlambonja, 6 270 ha (1989) wilderness areas (Figure 3). In addition, the Mkhomazi wilderness area was extended by another 8 155 ha in 1989. The proclaimed wilderness areas comprise 48,5% of the UDP WHS and were one of the primary factors contributing to the World Heritage Site designation.

The focus and vision of the UDP WHS management team is wilderness; valuing and managing existing areas to a higher state, and identifying candidate wilderness areas within the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation area. A comprehensive management plan has been drafted for the effective management and sustainable utilization of the wilderness areas in the UDP WHS. The management policy for the UDP WHS wilderness areas is to “leave no trace”, that is to retain the wild character of these areas by prohibiting all forms of man-made developments. Although people may gain access by foot, recreational opportunities within wilderness areas are managed to allow for an experience of solitude within an intrinsically unaltered natural environment, and thus to provide opportunities for inspiration, enrichment, self-reliance, and physical adventure.

30 years of Wilderness
The wilderness philosophy is one of the pillars of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife's corporate identity, embracing a deep respect for the natural world, restoring it as far as is possible to what it once was, and preserving it in as whole and as natural a state as possible. For the past 30 years, the UDP WHS wilderness areas have been managed according to stringent wilderness principles in an attempt to preserve wilderness for future generations to visit and to ensure that there will always be places where people will be able to absorb wilderness first hand, and be changed by it.

The Mkhomazi Wilderness
The Mkhomazi wilderness is managed by Mkhomazi, Lotheni, Cobham and Vergelegen; four major reserves within the UDP WHS.

In celebration of the 30 years of nationally proclaimed wilderness, the southern Drakensberg management team visited a plant fossil site in the Mkhomazi wilderness in Vergelegen Reserve (Figure 4). These plant fossils are 60 million years old, and are South Africa’s best site for plant fossils in the Molteno Formation. In addition, a walk is being organised for members of the public to hike from the Mkhomazi wilderness (in Cobham Reserve) to Underberg town (in close proximity to Cobham) The walk will be a commemorative event during 2004, to give recognition to 30 years of wilderness proclamation in South Africa.

The Mdedelelo Wilderness
The Mdedelelo wilderness is managed by the Cathedral Peak and Monks Cowl Reserves within the UDP WHS.

Participants of the Mountain Protected Areas Workshop of the World Parks Congress 2004, undertook a commemorative walk to the Mdedelelo wilderness area of Cathedral Peak Reserve (Figure 5). This section of the wilderness area encompasses the Didima Special Conservation Area, an area set aside to conserve the wealth and diversity of the San rock art.

Conclusion
UDP WHS wilderness managers face many challenges, the most obvious one is defending a philosophy which is little understood in the country as a whole. Other threats to the wilderness include deproclamation, invasive and arson fires, alien plants and animals, reduced budgets and law enforcement issues such as poaching, illegal hunting with dogs, cross-border drug trafficking and cattle rustling. These challenges must be met and the threats managed to ensure that the UDP WHS’s natural and cultural values and the wilderness resource are managed for the benefit of current and future generations for at least another 30 years.

Authors:
SONJA KRÛEGER is employed by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife as the Regional Ecologist for the UDP WHS. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it JOHN CROWSON is employed by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife as the Conservation Manager for the southern section (comprising six reserves) of the UDP WHS. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
*The National Forests Act No. 84 of 1998
The Act protects State Forests, Forest Nature Reserves and Wilderness Areas, and the plant and animal life contained therein. In addition the Act allows for management programmes to be established in order to prevent soil erosion and fire, maintain the natural genetic and species diversity and control plants and animals which are harmful to a particular area. The Act provides for the control and reasonable access to State Forests for the purposes of recreation, education, culture or spiritual fulfilment. Also, any person is prohibited from damaging State Forests or contributing to the threat of fire. Forest officers are empowered to arrest any person who has contravened this Act and may seize such person’s property.

Maps: showing the location of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site within KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and the location of the four proclaimed wilderness areas within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.

REFERENCES

Branch, N.R. 1998. Field guide to the snakes and other reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers.

Hilton-Taylor C 1996 Red data list of southern African plants. National Botanical Institute Pretoria Strelitzia 4

KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service. 2000. Nomination proposal for the Drakensberg Park. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: KZN NCS.

Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. 2003. The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Draft Wilderness Management Plan. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: EKZNW.

Walter, K.S. & Gillett, H.J. 1998. 1997 IUCN Red Data List of threatened plants. Gland, Switzerland: The World Conservation Union.