06 Mar 2016

US ambassador to Botswana Earl Miller has applauded the Tsodilo community for their continued efforts of conserving the Tsodilo heritage site. 

Speaking in an interview after touring the Tsodilo hills, Miller said it was satisfying to see a community taking responsibility in preserving the rock paintings.

He said he was intrigued by the beauty of the hills and the ancient paintings since it was his first time to see them.

On another note he said the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has provided support for projects, which included training in the preservation of ancient art sites in Gaborone and at Tsodilo Hills.

He further explained that since 2001, the US government has invested over P2 million, in six different projects through the fund in Botswana.

 He also noted that the training in 2001 was the first AFCP project in Botswana and it included a two week rock art conservation workshop in Gaborone and onsite training in anticipation of Tsodilo becoming a World Heritage Site.

During the training, curators, including the current acting Tsodilo Hills site manager Lopang Tatlhego, were provided with specialised instruction in rock art conservation.

Programme director of the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Conservation Martin Perschler said the conservation of the site was a clear sign that Batswana valued the heritage sites and that rock painting was an art form of communication.

He applauded the department of national museum for having preserved the Tsodilo Hills and for taking the community on board in doing so.

He said communicating with nature was vital and said places like Tsodilo were rare to be found in the world. He said the most important thing was to have an intact cultural site like Tsodilo in the years to come being able to tell an incomparable story.

For his part, Tatlhego thanked the US government for the support they have always given. He said the community currently has a trust through which they made some income while some were employed at the heritage site. Ends