Records management for administration of Traditional Council at Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

Records management seems to be a problem in traditional councils, and this hinders their effective administration. Proper records management is central to effective administration in all organisations, including traditional offices. Records are also necessary for evaluating organisational performance and supporting business functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate records management to support effective administration at Ga-Mphahlele Traditional Council. The study used a qualitative research approach and a case study research design. The study had a population of 57 council members. The researcher used quota sampling to sample the population of Ga-Mphahlele Traditional Council staff. The researcher interviewed 12 participants which made up a quota sample of the population. Data was collected in face-to-face interviews with the council members at Ga-Mphahlele Traditional Council using a semi-structured interview. The collected data was analysed thematically. The study revealed that the staff members did not have a clear understanding of the role of records management in achieving effective administration. The study further revealed that the traditional council did not have enough records management resources, and they were still using the old and manual way of managing records. Using old ways was problematic when it came to retrieving records for the administration of the traditional council. The study recommended that traditional councils must train their records management staff and offer workshops and seminars to instruct them in records management as this will give them a clear understanding of the of records management in achieving effective administration of the traditional council. The study also recommended that traditional councils should allocate more records management resources like computers, scanners and funds so they would be able to have proper records management and use these records to support effective administration in the traditional council.