African Design Magazine April 2015 | Page 4

AD Editor’s view I recently came across an interesting article on the challenges which we as Africans face regarding World Heritage. You can read the whole article by clicking here, but the crux of it is that although Africa is a magical continent with rich history, most countries are facing major challenges to preserve their cultural heritage sites. A venue for African Design inspiration The article on The World Post by Jeff Morgan notes that the state of heritage preservation can be characterised as down trodden, with some glimmers of hope where collaborative work by local communities have rallied funding, enforced better protection, and shown potential for sustainable development of heritage in Africa. Gregg Cocking Lack of expertise and experience in heritage management in government and the workforce plagues Africa, he notes. And at the same time, Africa has few monumental archaeological sites south of the Sahara desert, and nothing on the scale of Libya, Morocco or Egypt. Derelict Great Zimbabwe is one of the only major indigenous ancient sites in sub-Saharan Africa, which is twice as large as Europe. African Rock Art is quite amazing if you know where to find it deep in the mountains, but historic towns and large-scale architecture either have been destroyed or never existed. Morgan says that the site of Lamu in Kenya provides an excellent barometer of the overall state of heritage in Africa and the challenges facing nations and local communities to ensure their long-term survival. Lamu Old Town is one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa, but a new port is being built next to Lamu, and unregulated construction is damaging the integrity and authenticity of this unique UNESCO World Heritage site. What are your thoughts? We’d love to carry on the conversation on our Facebook page here. AD Published by African Design Magazine (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 9802, Edenglen, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1613 Cover photograph: Glam5, South Africa How to get in touch with African Design Magazine Editorial Gregg Cocking Cell: [phone] Email: [email protected] Advertising enquiries Lesley Shapiro Cell: [phone] Email: [email protected] While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents and information, neither the editor, publisher, or its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom. All rights reserved. © African Design Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, photocopying, electronic, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. www.africandesignmagazine.com Facebook: AfricanDesignMagazine Twitter: @AfricanDesignMagazine 4 africandesignmagazine.com