10 Dec 2017

Government is committed to resourcing the programming of Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS), Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila, has said.

Speaking at BNARS open day themed: 'Knowing Your Archives, Knowing Yourself' recently, Mr Mzwinila said resourcing BNARS was critical, as it was primarily responsible for appraising, acquiring, preserving and providing guidance on management of government records.  

For that reason, he said the open day was important as it was devoted to preserving and celebrating the country’s national documentary heritage and educating the public about operations of BNARS.

He said this year’s theme implored archivists and record managers alike to see beyond their walls, ‘as it resonated well with Botswana’s long standing resolve to be steadfast in instilling and upholding harmony among multi ethnic societies declared through our National Anthem.

As a nation, assistant minister said, “We must hold fast to the commitments of our predecessors who laid the foundation upon which we are building harmony and national unity.”

To build a cohesive and united nation that is proud of its heritage, he said there was also need for a strong cultural heritage foundation ‘and we must respect our past and give it the right respect and levels of dignity.’

“We must always be vigilant and guard against complacency. And the nation, which all of us here and our predecessors have helped to build must revel and be proud in our documented cultural and heritage history. We have a responsibility to preserve our past and celebrate it,” he added.

In that regard, Mr Mzwinila applauded the Department of National Records and Archives Services for its efforts in ensuring that there was a well taken care of documentary culture and written history tradition.

He also appealed with the public and to private institutions to ensure that they reserve their vital records for possible donations as national documentary heritage, ‘so that the next generation will not be subjected to a paucity or death of information about our history’.

In his welcome remarks, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Mr Kgopotso Ramoroka, said the day was a special one in the ministry’s calendar.

“This is a day where we try to say to the public ‘we are here for you, as your partners’, because we need to work together, as regards archives. It is also a rich place that has all kinds of documentary heritage that we would like to have as a country, it is full of history and it keeps all the valuables for this country,” he added.

The open day began with a carnival walk from the Three Dikgosi Monument to BNARS premises and culminated with official launch of the national exhibition and tour of the exhibition within and outside the premises.

Among the dignitaries who graced the event was former minister, Dr Gaositwe Chiepe, Kgosi Kgari III of Bakwena, Bangwato regent, Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane, Bakwena royal, Kgosikwena Sebele and BNARS director, Mr Peter Choto.

The Botswana National Archives was established in 1967 as a portfolio responsibility of the then Ministry of Home Affairs.

From that time, the Archives operated on administrative instructions issued by the ministry until 1978 when Parliament enacted the Archives legislation, which formally established National Archives of Botswana for preservation of public archives.

The 1985 Organisation and Methods review of the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs led to a revolutionary development in Botswana’s records management establishment.

The Permanent Secretary to the President Circular No.4 of 1993 established BNARS as a department and gave it the mandate to provide a records management service to government.

Botswana National Archives and Records Services is now under the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture established in 2007.

The mandate of BNARS involves managing all public records throughout their life cycle from creation to disposition.

Such is achieved through Records Management and Archives Administration functions.

The Records Management division of BNARS coordinates records management functions through Records Management Unit and records centres by ensuring systematic storage and timely retrieval of information, as and when needed, for any government business activity. 

Valuable records are transferred to archives repositories for permanent preservation while ephemeral records are destroyed. ENDS