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Over the past two decades the South African government has paid a lot of attention to palaeontology. Government enthusiastically promoted the fossil heritage and fossil sites in the Kromdraai Conservancy in the Krugersdorp District. The thirteen most important palaeontological sites were included and inscribed as the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) by UNESCO. Government has allocated millions of Rands to the development of tourism facilities in and around the COHWHS and at Makopane's Valley near Polokwane. These developments include the upgrading of the facilities at the Sterkfontein Caves and the erection of the Maropeng Visitor's Centre, both of which focus on the popularisation of palaeoanthropology and palaeotourism in the region. Evolution, with a heavy emphasis on human evolution, has been included in the school curriculum. Palaeontology also enjoyed special attention from President Thabo Mbeki. His positive attitude towards palaeontology is reflected in his writing of the introduction to The Official Guide to the Cradle of Humankind. He was also the first statesman in the world to announce the discovery of an important fossil. President Mbeki opened the Maropeng Visitor's Centre and in his speech he stated that the study and promotion of palaeoanthropology gives South Africans the opportunity to contribute to a world that will be free of racism, hatred, conflict and wars, and help to create a world based on mutual respect, dignity and human solidarity. The common origin of humankind became the rallying point for his African Renaissance philosophy. The reasons for the emphasis of palaeontology and evolution in the school curriculum become clear if viewed in the light of the political and scientific developments over the past two decades in South Africa. In the Curriculum Statement 2005 it is stated that the school curricula had to be revised to reflect the new values and principles of the country. Schools are used as a social reconstructivist tool to instil these new values and principles in order to change society. It is hoped that the exposure to evolution and especially the common origin of humankind will serve this purpose. While all of this appears to be positive for the survival of palaeontology in the country, the opposite is, in fact, true. Palaeontology does not thrive in this seemingly positive environment in South Africa today if compared to the previous century as can be seen in the decline of job opportunities for palaeontologists and the lack of state funded palaeontological research. There is virtually no financial support from government for palaeontology in South Africa at present. This unfortunate state of affairs has gradually worsened over the past two decades. Palaeontological posts were frozen at museums and parastatals such as the Council for Geoscience as people retired or resigned. At this stage, fewer than 20 palaeontologists hold full-time positions as palaeontologists at museums. The Section Palaeontology of the Council for Geoscience, which was the largest employer of palaeontologists, was closed down ten years ago. Fossil sites and fossil collections are falling into a state of neglect due to the shortage of money and personnel. In an attempt to promote the current socio-political model, in which the common ancestry of humankind is used as a rallying cry, the previous government has to be vilified. Certain politicians and their supporters make blatantly untruthful statements about the previous government's purported unwillingness to support palaeontology and the teaching of evolution. Ironically, the previous government did more for the funding and support of palaeontology than the present one and evolution was vividly depicted in the displays in all the state funded provincial natural history museums. Most of these displays have changed little over the past decades, regardless of the change of government and still serve to teach children about palaeontology and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst system research has only started recently in southern Africa and for this reason there is relatively little known about the unique ecology characterising these systems. The karst system in Gauteng may suffer irreparable damage due to the negative impact of urbanisation, pollution and tourism if certain trends are allowed to continue. Elements of these negative anthropogenic impacts are already evident in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) which is renowned for its dolomitic deposits and caves. The caves in the COHWHS are inhabited by bats, fungi and several arthropod groups of which only the amphipods, which occur in the groundwater, have been studied to some degree. If this important resource is damaged to such a degree that its ability to sustain life will be compromised it is likely that many species will disappear before they have been studied and documented. The urgency of this matter is illustrated by the development of the Cradle of Humankind Heritage Site as one of the major tourist attractions in Gauteng. There is also a growing threat of urbanisation along the periphery of the COHWHS, which will have a negative impact on the foraging ranges of bats and the quality of groundwater. Farming will continue to be a threat to the karst ecology of the region especially with regard to the abstraction of water and the use of agrochemicals which impact on the availability and quality of groundwater. A study of the karst ecology of the Cradle of Humankind is imperative for the implementation of an integrated management plan to conserve the karst system and associated ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]