Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites World Heritage Site

Official name

Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites | UNESCO

Country

South Africa | Map

Continent

Africa

Location

-25.7406° Lat, 28.2117° Lon | Map

Code

1676

Time Zone

Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, +0200)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2024. The serial property represents the legacy of the South African struggle for human rights, liberation and reconciliation. It consists of fourteen component parts located around the country, all related to South Africa’s political history in the 20th century. The parts include the Union Buildings (Pretoria), now the official seat of government; the Sharpeville Sites, commemorating the massacre of 69 people protesting the unjust Pass Laws; and The Great Place at Mqhekezweni, a site symbolic of traditional leadership where Nelson Mandela lived as a young man. These places reflect key events linked to the long struggle against the apartheid state; Mandela’s influence in promoting understanding and forgiveness; and belief systems based on philosophies of non-racialism, Pan-Africanism and ubuntu, a concept that implies humanity is not solely embedded in an individual.