14 May 2018

Nhabe Museum in Maun is hosting a month-long exhibition showcasing Botswana’s two world heritage sites: Okavango Delta and Tsodilo Hills.

The exhibition, which was officially opened by the director of National Museum and Monuments, Gaogakwe Phorano on May 9 marked the belated commemoration of African World Heritage Day on May 5.

The aim of the pictorial exhibition is to promote the protection and management of the heritage sites, said Phorano.

He said the two world heritage sites had “outstanding universal value” as their pristine beauty and worth were of international standards. About the Okavango Delta, which was listed as a world heritage site in 2014, he said its unique feature was that unlike other rivers of its size, the waters of the Okavango River ended in the desert and not in the sea.

The delta, he said, was also home to many wildlife and bird species as well as vegetation.

He said communities around the sites should ensure environmental friendly activities and proper waste management since Botswana shared the delta with Angola and Namibia.

Phorano commended communities around Tsodilo Hills for preserving the area which was recognised as a monument in 1927 and listed as a world heritage site in 2001.

He said the protection of the sites was key since Botswana was party to international protocols and agreements on management of such resources.

An Okavango Research Institute (ORI) official, Professor Joseph Mbaiwa encouraged Batswana to appreciate all the heritage sites in the country and not only the two listed ones.

Prof Mbaiwa said statistics showed that the two world heritage sites received more foreign visitors than locals.

African World Heritage Day was proclaimed in 2015 during the 38th UNESCO general conference to celebrate Africa’s unique culture and natural heritage. The day, which was celebrated in Botswana for the first time, was meant to increase global awareness of Africa’s heritage and to ensure cooperation in safeguarding it, he said.

Prof Mbaiwa said it was important to sensitise people about the need to protect African heritage, especially young people. He encouraged schools to take students on school tours to appreciate the sites. ENDS
“It is only through experiencing and understanding the value of these heritage sites that we can appreciate, cherish and safeguard them,” he said