A Framework for an Investigation into the Management of Former National Liberation Movements' Records and Archives by National and Private Archival Institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa

Abstract

This contribution seeks to highlight the plight of liberation movement records in eastern and southern Africa in an endeavour to raise awareness on the need for their sound management as they constitute an irreplaceable heritage. The struggle to liberate the eastern and southern African region was an important epoch in contemporary history. It follows then that this history needs to be accurately captured for posterity's sake. The archives generated were of differing types and status which reflected the diverse nature of the struggle itself. As a result, records were created from within and outside Africa to document this historic epoch from the 1950s to the 1990s and these records have to be made available to the public for research, scholarship and general interest as they are a treasured national asset. The main thrust of our argument is that in carrying out the documentation of these records, efforts should be made to ensure that a continuum of care is provided in terms of records' identification and acquisition, intellectual control, access and physical control.

Keywords: Liberation movements, Records management, Archives
management; Records lifecycle, Records continuum

ESARBICA Vol. 27 2008: pp. 147-170