13 Jun 2022

There is need for all stakeholders to collaborate in managing archives for future reference as well as national heritage diversification.

Acting Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Mabuse Pule said this during the International Archives Day commemoration  in Kanye recdently.

“Within the terrain of memory construction, everyone matters; all organisations, including non-governmental ones, as they also play a significant role in the socio-economic development of our country. They transact with different sectors of society, thereby generating records which are undoubtedly of national importance in terms of educational and research value. This is truly captured by the theme, #ArchivesAreYou,” he said.  

Consequently, Mr Pule said government, through the Botswana National Archives and Records Services, had intensified efforts to acquire private archives from individuals and organisations in order to augment the public records.

He commended professionals for their dedication in leading the path on archives management, through development of standards and procedures that resonated with those of international partners.

“Indeed it has been a long journey of transformation which needed dedication and tenacity,” he said.

He said while Botswana and other African countries had a challenge of locating migrated archives, the country was capitalising on bilateral agreements to repatriate such records and making use of the Migrated Archives Programme to reconstruct history.

He called on individuals and organisations to collect archives that documented the heritage of the country as a legacy for future generations.

The acting minister said this could be achieved through sharing of stories at community level and archiving them for safe keeping.

“Let us know that our efforts in preserving the documentary heritage of this country will earn us compliments from the next generation and also cause them to endeavour to preserve and pass the same legacy onwards. It is a legacy that we all have to treasure,” he said.

While he appealed to Batswana to donate their private archives for the national documentary heritage, he applauded those who had already contributed through oral history.

Mr Pule underscored the need to deploy modern technology in archiving such information for sustainability.

He said that incorporation of information technology in records keeping was also in line with the country’s Reset Agenda, which promoted digitised operations.

Mr Pule acknowledged the contribution of the International Council on Archives, which has successfully trained local archivists on digital record-keeping through the Africa Programme.

For her part, Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Balete said even though it was imperative to use modern methods of managing records, there was need for an inclusive approach which would incorporate local languages.

“I wish to implore Batswana to take note that stories of locals are minimal in the archives. How can we preserve our memory or history while the language of the locals is minimal? It is a limitation to the true identity of the locals. ” Kgosi Mosadi said.

She said creating a balance between modern and oral archiving of history would not only uphold Batswana’s foundation as a people, but would also provide an inclusive environment for the locals.

“Oral history still and will continue to have an outstanding   significance in our lives, and we must interface it with the mainstream archives,” she said.

Giving a vote of thanks, MP for Kanye South Dr Lemogang Kwape said it was important for educators to promote the preservation of records and archives. He said this would enhance transfer of oral history from the old to the future generations. “A lot of Batswana are educated and they write, unfortunately these writings are not well managed,” he said. ENDS