Provincial heritage resources authority

A provincial heritage resources authority (PHRA) (phonetic pronunciation: prɑː) is a government agency established at provincial level in South Africa and is responsible for the management of immovable heritage (i.e., places enjoying protection in terms of heritage legislation). In some instances, they are also responsible for moveable heritage, interpretation centres and museums.

Prior to the coming into effect of South Africa's National Heritage Resources Act on 1 April 2000, heritage matters were managed by a single agency at national level, the National Monuments Council. This agency was best known for its protection of several thousand 'national monuments', responsibility for which the new legislation devolved to provincial level and renamed 'provincial heritage sites', the term used in most provinces to describe them.

'Provincial heritage resources authority' or 'PHRA' is the term used by the National Heritage Resources Act to describe an authority responsible for management of what the Act describes as the 'national estate' in a province. The Act establishes three grades of heritage resource which broadly indicate significance at national, provincial and local level. The national heritage resources authority, SAHRA is responsible for Grade I heritage resources whilst PHRAs are responsible for Grade II heritage resources and in most instances also those at Grade III level since few municipalities have been assessed as competent to manage the national estate and given delegations to do so.

The three tier system of heritage management stems from provisions of South Africa's 1996 Constitution which determines that heritage conservation is a shared competency of the national and provincial spheres of government. Local government can hence only take on such responsibility if it does so voluntarily.

Each of the nine provinces has established a PHRA, with most of them electing to do so under provisions of the National Heritage Resources Act. Only the KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape PHRA's are set up in terms of legislation at provincial level. KwaZulu-Natal has the oldest PHRA predating the passing of the National Heritage Resources Act. In the Northern Cape the PHRA was initially set up in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act, but in 2014 provincial legislation was passed. The government of the Eastern Cape Province initially set up a PHRA under provincial legislation, but in 2012 reestablished it in terms of the national Act.

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