ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the concepts and other challenges facing heritage protection in an environment of diminishing resources and competition for funding. It argues that traditional custodial systems are more efficient in protecting sites in communal areas, particularly those which are located in remote and under-developed areas. The chapter demonstrates that there is no need for Africa to reject tried and tested methods that survived the passage of time. In fact, traditional and modern approaches to heritage complement each other very well and are thus not mutually exclusive. The chapter argues that Western approaches should be integrated with other knowledge systems, not only to have a better management system but also to gain a more informative insight into how the cosmology of sacredness works. It explores the official heritage position and local residents' perceptions of heritage protection, and outlines some of the contentious heritage issues that create conflict between residents and the heritage administration.
