GENERAL COMMENTS
Comments which have been made in the report are in blue.
This report seems to have been compiled from an inadequate number of
sources, without researchers working at the provincial museums having been
consulted, as to the situation in practice. Furthermore, the gazetted Heritage
Sites are not correctly reflected.
In the case of Pilgrim’s Rest, for example, Appendix 1 indicates that only the
Royal Hotel and the Joubert bridge are declared heritage sites, when in truth,
Portion 42 of the farm Ponieskrantz 543KT, upon which the village of Pilgrim’s
Rest is situated, was declared a National Monument (under the previous Act of
1969) in 1986. With the new Act (25 of 1999), all national heritage sites
automatically became provincial sites (with national status pending on the
decision of the SAHRA, after application for national status to be restored).
The entire village, as well as all / any other heritage remains on Ponieskrantz,
are therefore protected as a provincial heritage site.
The Pilgrim’s Rest Museum has applied for the national status of Ponieskrantz
to be re-instated and the SAHRA has indicated that a decision will be reached
soon.
The general tone of the report generalises and tends to underplay the
important research and conservation work being done in the province – most
of which, under very challenging circumstances and with inadequate
resources.
Furthermore, while it is a fact that the history and heritage of Mpumalanga
certainly requires re-evaluation, as far as the previous Eurocentric approach is
concerned, care should be taken not to create new racial divisions and biases.
Scholars like Carolyn Hamilton and Omer-Cooper correctly urge researchers
not to ‘replace black villains with white villains’, while presenting different
interpretations of history/ heritage in a balanced manner, without sparking new
antagonisms. The same advice can and must be applied, when compiling a
report such as this.
Mpumalanga Province
State of the Environment Report 2008
Cultural Heritage Specialist Report
Prepared by:
Frans Prins and Mamoluane Seliane
Strategic Environmental Focus (Pty) Ltd
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE ................................................... 4
1.1
Definition.................................................................................................... 4
1.2
Cultural heritage of Mpumalanga ............................................................... 4
1.2.1 Geology ................................................................................................. 4
1.2.2 Archaeology and the prehistoric past ..................................................... 5
1.2.3 Oral History ............................................................................................ 6
1.2.4 The Historical Period .............................................................................. 7
CAPACITY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF A POST-APARTHEID HERITAGE .. 8
2.1
The South African Heritage Resources Agency ......................................... 8
2.2
Provincial Heritage Resources Agency ...................................................... 9
2.3
The management of heritage resources..................................................... 9
2.4
Key Heritage Indicators ............................................................................ 10
2.4.1 Proportion of known heritage sites with protected status ...................... 10
2.4.2 Investment into heritage sites ............................................................... 11
2.4.3 Visitors to heritage resources ............................................................... 11
2.4.4 Effectiveness of heritage resources protection ..................................... 11
2.4.5 Threats affecting heritage resources .................................................... 12
RESPONSES ................................................................................................... 13
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE .......................................................... 14
REFERENCES................................................................................................. 14
3
1
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE
1.1
Definition
As defined in Article 1 of the World Heritage Convention Act, 1999 (Act No. 49 of
1999), Cultural heritage is considered as “monuments, architectural works, works of
monumental sculpture and painting, elements or structures of an archaeological
nature, inscriptions, cave dwellings and combinations of features, which are of
outstanding universal value form the point of view of history, art or science, groups of
buildings, groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their
architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding
universal value from the point of view of history, art or science, sites, works of man or
the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites
which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or
anthropological point of view”. For the purpose of this report features of living
heritage such as mountains, pools, rivers, boulders, etc. as well as paleontological
and geological features is also included under this definition.
1.2
1.2.1
Cultural heritage of Mpumalanga
Geology
The province of Mpumalanga contains within its boundaries evidence of the earliest
phases of the history of the world. In the environs of Barberton is one of the oldest
and best-preserved rock sequences found anywhere on earth. It is an area of
enormous interest for scientists researching the nature of our planet around 3.5
billion years ago. Of particular significance, is the discovery in these rocks of
microscopic traces of the world’s oldest, bacterial, life forms, which suggests that
Mpumalanga was a key cradle of life. But the geology of the province has many
other tales to tell.
It provide glimpses of the inner core of the early earth, the surface of the first
continent, the position and influence of the Moon, and the mass extinction of species
250 million years ago that set the scene for contemporary forms of life. Embedded in
this extraordinary geology are the gold, iron and platinum ores which have played
such an important part in the more recent history of the region and the unrivalled
reserves of coal formed in vast swamps from rotting forests 200 to 300 million years
ago, which now make Mpumalanga the powerhouse of South Africa. This geological
history tells a story of the transformation of earth from its earliest phases to the
present with a degree of detail that is not to be found elsewhere in the world. It is a
unique heritage which brings with it great responsibility for its preservation but also
offers enormous potential appeal to South Africans and citizens from all round the
globe. Although the unique geological landscape of Mpumalanga is evident in various
4
localities there is as yet no declared heritage sites with a geological component in the
province 1.
1.2.2
Archaeology and the prehistoric past
Archaeological sites in Mpumalanga provide evidence for the existence of humanity
going back an astonishing 1,7 million years. These sites offer insights into different
phases of stone-age society, including Early, Middle, and Later Stone Age societies.
It also provides a rich record of the settlement of the region by iron-age agropastoralists around 1600 years ago. Some of the sites provide tantalising clues
about the relationship between these African farmers and the San hunter-gatherers
of the region. The enormously evocative and internationally renowned Lydenburg
Heads, dating from approximately 900AD, have been linked to elaborate initiation
ceremonies amongst people whose descendants became known as the Shona – a
people whom four centuries later also produced the spectacular Zimbabwe-styled
citadels of the Limpopo Province and Zimbabwe. Abandoned mineshafts, moribund
metal workings and excavated trade goods reveal a thriving industry in iron, tin,
copper bronze and ochre. The presence of myriad exotic beads and marine shells
testify to thriving trade networks that linked regional patterns of trade to the coast and
to the far interior. Mpumalanga has, for a thousand years and more, been a vital
trading channel; the archaeological record suggests that it was also a vibrant zone of
interaction where diverse communities collided and co-operated and experienced
forms of osmosis, [replace ‘which make nonsense of’ with] refuting the idea of
fixed cultural or linguistic boundaries. Terms like Nguni and Sotho, for example,
present at best outer points on a continuum of social forms rather than discrete
realities. Cultural and economic interaction and exchange also gave rise to new
forms of social division and political organisation including the emergence of powerful
states which long preceded and probably contributed to the processes which fed into
the later rise of the Zulu kingdom. Scores of elaborate stone-walled settlements,
numerous terraced hillsides, and huts built from stone which cover the countryside
and date back hundreds of years, bear witness to an extraordinary past of which little
is known outside of the academia2.
A particularly significant and visually impressive aspect of Mpumalanga’s heritage is
the abundant rock art to be found all throughout the province. These include both
rock paintings and rock engravings. These vivid images, provide insight into the
religious beliefs, aspirations and anxieties of their makers. It also allows for a
dialogue between present and pre-existing forms of identity and understanding of
natural and spiritual worlds. Part of what is special about the rock art of Mpumalanga
is its unique diversity, with an array of sites belonging to hunter-gatherer, herder and
farmer communities. The most prolific rock art in the province provides reminders of
the San (hunter-gatherers), the oldest occupants of the area. These are fine line
1
2
De Wit, 2007
Esterhuysen & Smith, 2007
5
paintings done by brush, most frequently of animals and human figures which
according to some researchers often represent the intersection of material and
spiritual worlds. In fact, it is often maintained that the majority of the art reflects the
spiritual journey of San medicine people in the invisible realm. Recent research has
also suggested that Khoekhoen (herder) art exists within the later San sequences in
the area. This is an art composed mainly of geometric designs in both painted and
engraved forms and posing fascinating questions about the presence of Khoi herders
in the region and their interaction with other groups. The final form of rock art was the
work of the various iron-age farmer communities who settled there from 400AD. Art
categorised as Sotho-Tswana, which is applied by finger and is predominantly white
in colour, is predominantly associated with male initiation, but during colonial times
such art also becomes associated with conflict and domination. Rock art categorised
as Nguni, on the other hand, seems to be entirely engraved and dominated by
representations of the layout of homesteads. The farm Boomplaats has the finest
known examples of this form of rock art in the region. It is clear that rock art
constitutes an extraordinarily rich part of the heritage of the province, but at present it
remains under-researched, undervalued, insufficiently protected and inadequately
publicised3.
1.2.3
Oral History
Accounts of the initial waves of settlement of the region have to be reconstructed
from the material record i.e. archaeology. But there are rich seams of oral tradition
stretching back at least to the 15th century, which, if used critically and in conjunction
with other forms of evidence, enable researchers to start to populate the historical
landscape with the forebears of contemporary communities*, to periodise movement,
to outline patterns of conflict and co-operation, to glimpse changing forms of trade
and to chart, from distinctive vantage points, the rise of new political systems such as
the Pedi, Ndzundza and Swazi polities (Delius 2007). However, the systematic
identification of archaeological sites associated with these historical processes still
need to be undertaken.
*Current communities are extremely proud and aware of their original, be it ethnically
bound, roots.
This cannot be ignored and these identities deserve to be
acknowledged as having played a role in the historical processes. In fact, in some
cases, communities not only maintained a sense of individual identity, but
purposefully
strengthened
these
identities
through
deliberate
absorption
(intermarriage with the precondition of ‘conversion’). Examples are, the Pulana, the
Pai and Kutswe groups of the eastern Escarpment and lowveld regions.
3
Smith & Zubeita, 2007
6
1.2.4
The Historical Period
The arrival of the first Boer settlers in 1854 heralded a new era in Mpumalanga. The
following four decades were to see bitter struggles over land, labour, and political
control. Berlin missionary activity after 1860 added an important religious dimension
to this contestation and these struggles left an indelible mark on the division of land
and the nature of society and religious belief in the region. But perhaps the most
singular feature of the history of Mpumalanga is that it was the location of three
critically important frontier zones. Boers competed for power and position with the
Pedi, Swazi and Zulu kingdoms. They also confronted a range of internal forms of
resistance and revolt. In the 1870s these frontiers played a central role in some of the
most important conflicts of the 19th century. Wars between the Pedi and the Boers in
1876, the Zulu and the British in 1879, and the Pedi and the British later in the same
year provide stories filled with suspense, heroism and tragedy. They also played a
decisive part in shifting the balance of power in South Africa in favour of white
settlers and colonial control.
The modern landscape of Mpumalanga is dotted with the sites of crucial battles and
the remnants of the elaborate fortified strongholds crafted by African and mission
communities from a combination of natural features and stone walling. In addition,
the economic history of Mpumalanga and South Africa is intricately linked with the
discovery of precious minerals and the subsequent gold rush of the late 19th century.
Early mining towns such as Pilgrims Rest and Baberton have become heritage
tourism icons. Together, these towns contain [remove ‘almost 20’ and replace with
numerous] provincial heritage sites. However, most of these sites were identified
along Eurocentric criteria and heritage features highlighting the contribution of
indigenous communities are sadly lacking. While some of these sites have been
recorded by local museums and researchers, many remain to be recognised and
documented. Unfortunately those historical sites that have made it onto the heritage
map are rarely effectively conserved or managed. In addition, they are often
presented in a rather parochial manner and are rarely situated within the wider
context of South African history. [I do not agree with this last statement (and the word
‘parochial’), as it generalises grossly. In Pilgrim’s Rest, the local and global impact
of gold mining in the broader sense of South African history is emphasised,
especially as this industry played such a big role in both the social-political and
economic development of the country]. Neither are they linked one to another in
ways which would allow an interested visitor to explore the geography and material
remains of this deeply moving and profoundly important history. Although
Mpumalanga is famous for the vibrant and intricate arts and crafts of local
communities, many of those who admire and even purchase these artefacts are
unaware of their connection to the bleaker world of battlefields. Some of the most
striking of these forms of artistic expression, such as Ndzundza Ndebele dress,
beadwork and wall painting, have been partly shaped by a history of defeat and
dispossession.
7
The best-known military memorials in Mpumalanga recall bloody clashes between
Boer and Briton and for many decades after its conclusion this conflict was
represented as ‘a white man’s war’. While this version reflected the official policy of
both parties, theory and practice diverged dramatically, as is so often the case in
history. It is now widely recognised that black people, including the San, played a
broad range of roles in the war. As a result the term South African War has replaced
the earlier more restricted name – the Boer War. But the central part black people
played in the war in Mpumalanga have not received the attention it deserves in
existing texts, museums and monuments4. Again, this last statement generalises.
The research staff of the Pilgrim’s Rest Museum brought out a special publication on
this war, wherein the participation of local black communities was included, in order
to address the past omissions of the role they played.
2
CAPACITY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF A POST-APARTHEID HERITAGE
2.1
The South African Heritage Resources Agency
The cultural heritage of South Africa and by extension Mpumalanga is managed by
the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). Like many institutions in
South Africa since the change in government in 1994, the National Monuments
Council (NMC) has been transformed into an organisation that better meets the
principles and basic tenets of our new Constitution. The NMC was replaced by the
South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) when the National Heritage
Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999), or NHRA, was written in response to the findings of
the Arts and Culture Task Group (ACTAG) that met in 1994 to assess the needs of
arts, culture and heritage in the country. The new legislation replaced the national
Monuments Act (Act 28 of 1969) and came into effect on 1 April 2000.
At the heart of the NHRA is an integrated system that allows decision-making about
the significance of heritage places to take place at the lowest competent level of
governance. In other words, it is a bottom-up approach rather than the top-down one
that was previously in place. The advantage of this system is that, in theory at least,
it will allow local authorities to identify sites of importance to their residents and this
will lead to better integration of the management of heritage features in town and
regional planning.
Another important change is that the NHRA is concerned with a wider range of
heritage resources than was in the National Monuments Act. The term ‘heritage
resources’ includes not only places of heritage significance, but also the oral histories
attached to them, the landscapes in which they are situated and the associated
heritage objects that define South Africa’s multicultural history. As stated in the
4
Mbenga, 2007
8
preamble, the Act ‘has the potential to affirm our diverse cultures, and in so doing
shape our national character.’
The SAHRA national office is situated in Cape Town and there are regional offices in
each province, including Mpumalanga. Their responsibilities are, amongst others, to:








2.2
Establish national principles, policies and standards;
Promote and encourage public understanding of heritage resources;
Manage national heritage sites and heritage objects;
Manage permits for export of heritage objects;
Manage permits for export of heritage objects;
Issue permits for archaeology and palaeontology on behalf of provinces that
do no employ archaeologist and palaeontologists;
Manage the national Heritage Resources Fund;
Develop and maintain an inventory of the national estate.
Provincial Heritage Resources Agency
In addition, the NHRA requires each province to establish a provincial heritage
resources authority, colloquially known as the PHRA. Although a PHRA has been
legally established in Mpumalanga it is still young and in the process of establishing
its institutional capacity. The PHRAs are responsible for the identification,
conservation and management of all provincial and heritage sites, and places that
have general protection in terms of the Act. These include all former national
monuments, which automatically became provincial heritage sites when the NHRA
came into effect, and all archaeological and palaeontological sites. PHRAs have the
power to devolve decision-making about local heritage sites to local authorities. As
yet, no local authorities in Mpumalanga have taken over this responsibility because it
requires dedicated posts and expertise.
2.3
The management of heritage resources
The NHRA is structured around a widely accepted three-stage process for the
conservation and management of heritage resources, as follows:

Identification of heritage resources that fit the criteria set out in the NHRA and
consultation with all interested and affected persons and organisations to
consider their value;

Assessment of the level of significance of the heritage places that have been
identified ( called grading); and

Assignment of an appropriate management strategy to retain the significance
of the heritage resources.
9
The identification and consultation stage is best done at local authority level. Once a
municipality has done a survey, or contracted an expert to conduct one on their
behalf, they can refer to guidelines developed by SAHRA and PHRAs that set out the
criteria to be used in grading significance. This process is well underway in
Mpumalanga. However, the new legislation is still young and has the usual growing
pains that can be frustrating to the general public. The principles behind the
legislation are sound, however, and once the provincial authorities are properly
established there will be a much more comprehensive system than before. There will
also be better opportunities to expand the pool of knowledge of heritage sites in the
country and to conserve them.
2.4
Key Heritage Indicators
2.4.1
Proportion of known heritage sites with protected status
According to the NHRA all heritage sites are protected by legislation. However,
these sites may be graded according to the following system:

Grade 111 places are of local significance and would be listed on a heritage
register maintained by the local authority and the PHRA. Anyone wishing to
make changes to a grade 11 site would have to apply for a permit from the
local authority if the powers to do this have been devolved by the PHRAS. If
these powers are not yet devolved, the permits are issued by the PHRA. The
majority of historical and archaeological sites at Mpumalanga would be
classified as grade 111.

Grade 11 places are of provincial significance, and can be declared Provincial
Heritage Sites. As noted, all former national monuments are now provincial
heritage sites and are the responsibility of PHRAs. A good example in this
regard is the historical mining town of Pilgrims Rest. The site was declared a
National Monument by the previous government in 1986 (Van Wyk-Rowe
1997). However, it lost this status with the new NHRA and is now classified as
a provincial heritage site. In addition to Pilgrims rest the previous government
also declared 59 other historical buildings in Mpumalanga as provincial
heritage sites. However, the status of these sites are presently being
reviewed. Some prominent archaeological sites in the province, such as the
terraced and stone-walled iron age sites, and some rock art sites have been
nominated for Grade 11 status. Their significance and potential grading is
also being reviewed at present.
10

2.4.2
Grade 1 places are of national significance and are the responsibility of
SAHRA. They can be protected formally by declaration as National Heritage
Sites. All permits for changes to these sites are issued by SAHRA. At
present there are no Grade 1 sites listed for Mpumalanga. However, the
identification of sites for national heritage grading is one of the main
mandates of SAHRA and the process is underway.
Investment into heritage sites
The investment of the provincial government into heritage sites is dependent on the
production of a provincial inventory of heritage sites. At present the existing
inventory is biased in terms of Eurocentric values. Acknowledging this problem the
Provincial Government launched the ‘Greening Mpumalanga and Tourism Project” as
one of its five flagship projects in 2005. One of the outcomes of this project was the
publication of a major volume regarding the history and heritage of Mpumalanga in
20075. A second outcome is the identification of heritage sites representative of all
the cultural groups of the province and the development thereof for tourism purposes.
This process is still ongoing.
2.4.3
Visitors to heritage resources
Mpumalanga is a major tourism destination for both the local and international
markets. Most tourists visit the province for its scenic beauty and wildlife. However,
there has been a marked increase in heritage tourism in recent years. The historical
mining town of Pilgrims rest remains the most popular heritage destination. This is
closely followed by battle site tourists – notably sites belonging to the Anglo-Boer
War. However, heritage sites reflective of the indigenous populations of the province
have also become popular. Notably is the recent development of rock art routes in
the southern Kruger National Park, at Bongani Game Lodge near Nelspruit6, and
around Lake Chrissie. However, sites belonging to the iron age, living heritage, and
the more recent liberation struggle needs to be identified and further developed for
tourism.
2.4.4
Effectiveness of heritage resources protection
Cultural heritage has already been defined in preceding sections. This definition
should be kept in mind as it is important to know what cultural heritage is before even
attempting its protection. Similarly, certain processes like the identification and
assessment of heritage resources have to be undertaken before heritage resources
are protected. In order to review the effectiveness of heritage resources protection in
the province of Mpumalanga, a list/register of formally protected (gazetted) heritage
5
6
Delius, 2007
Lewis-Williams & Blundell, 2000
11
resources for the province has been visited (Appendix 1). A closer look at this list
reveals domination of Mpumalanga heritage by the built environment structures and
monumental features (buildings, monuments, bridges etc) which constitute only part
of the history of Mpumalanga. Other components of heritage of Mpumalanga have
not been recognised and hence not formally protected.
This situation cannot be viewed in isolation but in light of the legal framework
governing the protection heritage resources in the province. As already mentioned,
prior to the advent of the NHRA, the heritage of the country was guarded by the
National Monuments Act No. 28 of 1969. The apparent exclusion of other types of
heritage in the protection process seems to be a product of the interpretation of
‘national monument’ of the former heritage legislation as structures or monuments in
the literal sense. Only a few, in fact not more than a handful of heritage resources in
the Mpumalanga Province have been declared of Provincial status since the new Act
was introduced.
Heritage resources that are generally protected also need to be listed and stored in a
single provincial database. This could help to monitor the state of conservation of
heritage resources and thus contribute to the effectiveness of their protection.
Frequent updates of the database as new heritage resources are identified would
also improve the province’s effectiveness in protection their heritage. However in
Mpumalanga because of lack of capacity the PHRA can only execute section 34 of
the NHRA which deals with the protection of architectural heritage structures.
SAHRA handles matters concerning archaeological, palaeontological and graves. As
a result at the moment there is no single central comprehensive heritage resources
database for the province. Attempts (by SAHRA) are underway to produce heritage
databases for provinces.
2.4.5
Threats affecting heritage resources
Like in other provinces of South Africa, heritage resources, their protection and
management is under threat due to the wide spread development and urbanization.
This is why heritage resources need to be protected in the first place. There are
other natural causes such as climate change which threaten heritage resources but
the man induced ones are more destructive and happen quicker. The new Act
encourages that development takes place in harmony with sustainable use of
heritage resources. This is in the form of a permit request system which is
undertaken before the destruction or alteration of sites. Also, Environmental Impact
Assessment as well as HIA have to be undertaken before developments. This
process has proven greater awareness and willingness from the public in the
Mpumalanga Province to contribute to heritage protection as numbers of EIAs
undertaken has increased in recent years.
12
However, the Mpumalanga Provincial SAHRA office could not provide statistical
information as to how many:



3
Permits were applied for/granted to substantially modify buildings in the
province;
Permit applications were submitted/granted involving alteration or damage of
culturally significant sites; and
This information could have helped in evaluating how effective the legislation
has been in heritage resources protection.
RESPONSES
Although the Province of KwaZulu-Natal promulgated provincial heritage legislation
[i.e. the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Management Act (No. 10 of 1997)] such provincial
heritage legislation does not apply to the other provinces. Mpumalanga’s heritage is
managed according to the specifications of the National Heritage Resources Act (no
25 of 1999).
The cultural heritage management of Mpumalanga is also governed by the following
legislation:



National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998);
National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of
2004); and
National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No. 57
of 2003).
The World Heritage Convention Act, 1999 (Act No, 49 of 1999), applies to the world
heritage sites of South Africa, however, no world heritage site has yet been
nominated for the Mpumalanga Province. ????
The old Central Reduction Works is currently on the Tentative List, for World
Heritage Sites (WHS). Awaiting the outcome of the SAHRA regarding re-nomination
of Ponieskrantz (Pilgrim’s Rest) as a National Heritage Site, the Central Reduction
Works could be declared a WHS. This site, together with the adjacent old Central
Compound (to be reconstructed) and satellite sites (e.g. Belvedere Power Station),
can effectively be developed to depict the early gold mining industry, which
contributed hugely to the shaping of Mpumalanga’s socio-economic character.
Furthermore, the important contribution of black miners, as the bulk of the labour
force driving the gold mining industry, will be emphasized and depicted. The gold
mining industry’s impact, both locally and globally will be illustrated – addressing one
of the major gaps currently experienced in the portrayal of history at Pilgrim’s Rest.
13
4
SUMMARY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
The cultural heritage of Mpumalanga is diverse and representative of most cultural
traditions and periods of southern Africa. However, the majority of identified heritage
sites are still biased in terms of Eurocentric values. These aspects have been
recognised by the relevant national and provincial heritage authorities and are being
addressed. There is an urgent need to identify more heritage sites which are
representative of the cultural diversity of the Mpumalanga area and to develop some
of these for tourism purposes7. Although new heritage management systems have
been put in place to address these and other issues they are still relatively new and
are often driven by people without the necessary heritage training.
5
REFERENCES
De Wit, M. 2007. Geology of Mpumalanga: a history of deep time. In Delius, P.(ed)
Mpumalanga reclaiming the past, defining the future. Department of Culture and
Tourism, Mpumalanga.
Deacon, J. 2007. A Beginners guide to archaeology, SAHRA and the PHRAs. The
Digging Stick. 24(1) 15-16
Delius, P. 2007. Introduction. In Delius, P (ed) Mpumalanga reclaiming the past,
defining the future. Department of Culture and Toursim, Mpumalanga.
Kros, C. 2007. The heritage of Mpumalanga. In Delius (ed) Mpumalanga reclaiming
the past, defining the future. Department of Culture and Tourism, Mpumalanga.
Lewis-Williams D, & Blundell, G 2000. Fragile Heritage: A Rock Art Fieldguide.
Witwatersrand University Press, Johannesburg.
Makhura, T., 2007. The pre-colonioal history of Mpumulanga societies until the 19th
century. In Delius (ed) Mpumalanga reclaiming the past, defining the future.
Department of Culture and Tourism, Mpumalanga.
Smith, B., & Zubieta, L. 2007. The rock art of Mpumalanga. In Delius (ed).
Mpumalanga reclaiming the past, defining the future. Department of Culture and
Tourism, Mpumalanga.
Van Wyk-Rowe, C. 1997. The prehistorical and early historical inheritance of the
Mpumalanga escarpment. Research by the National Cultural History Museum Vol
(6): 59-77
7
Kros, 2007
14
15
Appendix 1. Gazetted Mpumalanga Heritage sites
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
1. Site of President Barberton
Samora Machel’s Plane
Crash
2. Belhaven House
Barberton
Museum
3. ETC Building
Barberton
Town
Street Name
Mbuzini
N/A
Year
of ERF. No.
Declaration
1998
Barberton
Lee Road
1988
Barberton
Pilgrim Street
1981
4. Globe Tavern
Barberton
Barberton
Pilgrim Street
1979
5. Guard House
Barberton
Current
Use
1573 and Museum
1574
Certain
Stand 1508
Stand 1322
Significance
This is the site of the aero plane accident on 19 October 1986
at which President Samora Machel’s of Mozambique and 34
of his compatriot and traveling companions died
Architectural
Historical Architectural Interest
Historical and architectural interest. Tavern opened up in
1887. Building typical of the wood and iron buildings which
characterized the gold-fields of the Eastern Transvaal – an
important link with the Old Barberton
Corner Lee Rd
& Judge Street
6. Marsonic Lodge
7. NZASM Railway
Bridge
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
Town
Location
Year
of ERF. No.
Declaration
8. Old Stock Exchange
Barberton
Barberton
Pilgrim Street
1965
Erf
1307
No.
Current
Use
Significance
Historical interest. This building was a second Stock
Exchange built in Barberton. It was built by the De Kaap Gold
Fields Stock Exchange Ltd. It opened on 13 April 1887.
9. Stopforth House
10.
Monument
Barberton
Barberton
Covenant Belfast
11. Dutch Reformed
Church
12. Old Magistrate
Office
13.
Geogian
Farmhouse
14. Grobler Bridge
15.
Begin-der-Lijn
Bridge
Bethal
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
16. Natural Rock Bridge
Ermelo
Bowness
Street
1984
Steynsplaats
Farm 339 JT
1982
Ervern 1364
&1365
Historical and Architectural Interest. The wood & Iron
dwelling-house & out-buildings well preserved and remained
unaltered – Important cultural-historical link with Barberton.
Historical interest.
Monument erected in 1886 to
commemorate the vow taken by Andries Pretorius and his
men shortly before the Battle of Blood River in 1838.
Vermooten
Street
Bethal
Carolina
Carolina
Ermelo
17.
Stone
hut Ermelo
settlement
18.
Old
Prison Ermelo
Amsterdam
19. Old Residency (Old Ermelo
Town
Komati River
Vaal River
1955
Road P26/6
Location
Year
of ERF. No.
Declaration
Vaal River
1982
Farm
Goedehoop
106 IT
Bridge
Current
Use
Significance
Large natural rock bridges are rare landforms – Hence of
geomorphologic significance
Tafelkop
34
Taute 2000
Erf. No. 92
17
Drostdy)
20. Borehole UC 65
Street
Highveld Ridge
21.
Dwars
River Lydenburg
Geological Occurrence
22. Echo Caves
Lydenburg
23. Steenkamp Bridge
Evender
29. Remains of Old Ohrigstad
Voortrekker Fort
29. Cycad
Middleburg
30. Fort Merensky
31. Mapoch’s Caves
Middleburg
Farm
Winkelhaak
135 IS
Historical interest. In 1951 borehole UC 65 was the first
prospecting hole to penetrate auriferous Kimberley Reef
1965
Klipfontenh
oek
Lydenburg
24. Dutch Reformed Lydenburg
Church
25. Old Voortrekker Lydenburg
Church
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
26. Old Voortrekker Lydenburg
School
27. Powder Margazine
Lydenburg
28. ZAR Post Box
Lydenburg
1985
Scientific interest. A unique occurrence of chromitite bands in
anorthosite – of great scientific importance
Natural beauty
1963
Stedboom
River
Church Street
Town
Location
Year
of ERF. No.
Declaration
Current
Use
Significance
Church Street
Viljoen Street
Kantoor Street
1979
Historical Interest. This post box is one of the earliest of pillar
post-boxes ordered from Netherlands
Bankfontein
Roos
18
Senekal
32. Dutch Reformed Middleburg
Church
33. Meyer Bridge
Middleburg
Jourbert Street
Little Olifants
River
Meyer & Van
Riebeeck
Streets
34. NZASM Station
Middleburg
35. Lime Kilns
Nelpruit
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
Town
36. NZASM Station
37. Dutch Reformed
Church
38. Berlin Waterfall
39.
Horseshoe
Waterfall
40. Jourbert Bridge
41. Mac Mac Waterfalls
Nelspruit
Piet Retief
Elandshoek
42. Natural Rock Bridge
Pilgrim’s Rest
43. Royal Hotel
44. Huntington Hall
Pilgrims’s Rest
Pilgrims’s Rest
Pilgrims Rest
Pilgrims Rest
Pilgrim’s Rest
Pilgrim’s Rest
Grootgeluk
447
Location
Year
of ERF. No.
Declaration
Current
Use
Significance
Church Street
Graskop
Blyde River
Geelhout
boom
Graskop
564 KT
Sabie
19
45. Convention Bridge
Volksrust
46. Grave of Gen Piet Volkrust District
Joubert,
Name of Site
Magisterial
District
Town
47. Old NZASM Station Volkrust
Building & Old Customs
House
48. Magistrate’s Office
Wakkerstroom
49. Old Apostolib Wakkerstroom
Church of Africa
50. Five (5) Arched Waterval Boven
Bridge
51. Krugerhof
Waterval Boven
52. NZASM Tunnel
53. Stone Ruins
Waterval Boven
Waterval Boven
54. NZASM Station
Witbank
Location
Year
Declaration
Farm
Drystream
Rustfontein
126
of ERF. No.
Sarel Cilliers 1989
Street
Current
Use
Significance
Historical Structure
Engelbrecht
Street
Church Street
Doornhoek
Waterval
Onder
Doornhoek
Blaaubosch
kraal
Clewer
Schoongezi
cht 308 JS
20