Journal of the South African Society of Archivists

Editorial Overview

Ngoako Marutha — 2024-11-27

It is with a great pleasure to introduce to you yet another exciting rigorous issue of eight most informative and educative articles towards resolving industrial problems and informing future academic studies in the field of archives and records management. This year our issue is Volume 57 of 2024 and is comprised of manuscripts that address different industrial problems and findings that are central to the improvement of service delivery. As you know, information management is central to everything in any business operations regardless of whether the organisation is public or private.

Records management for transparency and accountability on land allocation at the Nkambeni Tribal Authority in Mpumalanga province of South Africa

Innocentia Vidian Khoza — 2024-11-27

Proper records management practices are central to principles of good governance, such as accountability and transparency. This study investigated the impact of records management practices on land allocation in the Nkambeni Tribal Authority in Mpumalanga. The study was guided by the records life cycle model to track the phases through which the land allocation records in the Nkambeni Tribal Authority go from the time they were created to the time they were disposed. A qualitative research approach was used to collect data through interviews with community members that were conveniently sampled for the study. Secondly, the researcher observed how land registrations were handled during visits that were made when seeking permission to conduct the study and subsequently during interviews that were conducted for the study. The data was analysed thematically according to the key objectives of the study. The results suggested that records were in a bad state and were still managed manually. Furthermore, officials managing records did not have the proper records management skills or qualifications required to manage such important records. Furthermore, the study revealed that there were constant disputes and court cases created by land grabbers due to poor records management. The study concluded that records related to land allocation at the Nkambeni Tribal Authority office were in a bad state and were not properly managed. The current records management practices at the tribal office are negatively affecting the life span of the records. This will negatively impact future use of these records, which will potentially put future generations on collision courses due to a lack of records that may be needed to solve land disputes. The tribal authority office needs to employ people with proper records management skills and qualifications to take care of these important records throughout their life cycle.

Records management programme towards good governance and service delivery in Singida Local Authorities, Tanzania

Lameck Sospeter Kashaija — 2024-11-27

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the state of records management programmes in a bid to promote good governance and service delivery in Singida Local Authorities, Tanzania. The study used a case study design, which is qualitative in nature. Fifty employees of the SLAs constituted the target population of the study. The researcher collected data from 41 respondents selected by using census approach. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews, group discussions and observations. The study found that poor records management practices are attributable to lack of electronic records management (ERM) strategies such as security measures and professional staff, and poor control of record files, which affected good governance and service delivery. The study established that some offices visited had no keyword file classification system installed. However, there were no institutional and national legal frameworks for the SLAs to apply in managing their records, which resulted in poor records management. Consequently, the SLAs risked breaching confidentiality rules due to lack of security measures to guard against disaster and unauthorised access to records as indicators of poor governance. Further, there was no records appraisal and disposition conducted due to lack of specific records retention and disposal schedules in the SLAs under review. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the SLAs install a keyword file classification system which allows adopting electronic office system as recommended by legislation, formulate and implement records management legal frameworks.

Records management practices to support administrative operations at the University of Venda in South Africa

Geven Singo — 2024-11-27

This study qualitatively examined records management practices at the University of Venda in South Africa. Despite the availability of substantial literature on records management practices in diverse organisations within the country, very little attention has been given to problems faced by institutions of higher learning in this regard. Ten purposively selected records management staff at the University of Venda were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the records management policies applied in different departments and units across the university were inconsistent. The findings further revealed that these disparities were observed both through physical or digital recording and storage of information as well as in how personnel assigned to work with records were trained. Additionally, this paper found which challenges were associated with the university records management policies, procedures and governance frameworks, which lacked effective communication channels, implementation strategies and harmonisation with national legislation and standards. This made it difficult for them to protect their information assets from tampering while also ensuring they complied with established accessibility rules. As part of mitigating these issues, this study recommends that the university should put more efforts into its existing framework relating to record keeping by emphasising efficient communication, training processes, policy review exercises, strengthened governance mechanisms and a team approach towards policy formulation. Consequently, improved capacities will enable the university to streamline its records management system into a more consistent adaptive model capable of being accountable while supporting its teaching, research as well as administrative needs. This study initiates a pioneering effort in understanding records management practices at the University of Venda in South Africa.

Leveraging dark data for governance of Kenya Electricity Transmission Company

Gloria Regina Mukhongo — 2024-11-27

Dark data entails information assets organisations collect, process and store during regular business activities, but fail to use for any other purposes. Yet it has the potential to be a very powerful tool for informing business decisions. Dark data continues to be a risk at the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO). This is seen as an embarrassing exposure in the media when it lands in foreign hands such as bloggers, lawyers, and auditors, but can hardly be traced by the company itself. This has been blamed on the lack of proper structures for data management. Therefore, this study sought to establish how dark data can be leveraged for effective governance in KETRACO. The objectives of the study were to present the context of dark data creation and its capturing at KETRACO; and to establish how dark data can be leveraged for effective governance in KETRACO. The study adopted a case study research design within a qualitative approach. For that purpose, personal interviews were used as the primary tool for data collection from 32 participants. The findings of the study revealed that dark data at KETRACO accumulated in different locations and formats with no specific individuals responsible, as it streamed into the company from both external and internal sources. The findings also showed that dark data comes with risks and opportunities that have implications for corporate governance. Therefore, the study recommended that organisations such as KETRACO should implement clear strategies to maximise the opportunities presented by dark data. This study is important to the field of information science because of its emphasis on leveraging all organisational data, and by extension records for effective governance.

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

Kabelo Kgomoeswana — 2024-11-27

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.

Digital preservation of records at Wazalendo and Umoja Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies in Tanzania

Erasto Gerald Luvanda — 2024-11-27

Cooperative societies in Tanzania face seemingly insurmountable challenges in transforming their hitherto largely paper-based records into electronic formats for preservation in this digital age, which negatively impacts on their operational efficiency. This study, therefore, aimed to determine practices for preserving cooperatives’ records in electronic format and associated challenges, focusing on two institutions: Wazalendo and Umoja Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS) in Moshi municipality of Kilimanjaro region. The technology acceptance model served as the theoretical framework, supplemented by insights from archival science. The study adopted a qualitative approach and utilised face-to-face semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observations to collect data. The study population consisted of 35 staff from two SACCOS whereby 23 respondents were confined to the study through purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The resultant qualitative data was subjected to thematic analysis. The study found that the two SACCOS under review have yet to transform their records fully into electronic formats and face numerous challenges in fostering preservation. The major barriers to such electronic record presentation emerged to be dire financial constraints and a lack of skilled personnel to facilitate such a process. Significantly, it emerged that managerial commitment to adopting new technologies positively influenced the electronic preservation of SACCOS records. As such, SACCOS should invest in ICT infrastructure and offer comprehensive training for staff in addition to formulating and enforcing clearcut policies and guidelines for digital records preservation.

Myths and realities of land registration in Zanzibar

Abdul-Nasser Hikmany — 2024-11-27

In a developing state, such as Zanzibar, registration of lands is not a laid-back method for the government to completely finance. Different approaches have been introduced and undertaken by the government of Zanzibar to fully reap the benefits of land registration. These however remain a myth, as what was expected from registering at least half of Zanzibar has not yielded the exact outcome. The government initiatives consist of enacting proper legislation, reforming the land policy, introducing national agendas and receiving foreign financial contribution. Based on the policies, laws and literatures, this study assessed the most appropriate framework upon which lands can be registered reliably and speedily. The qualitative data analysis method was applied, as this was purely traditional doctrinal legal research. This study used a case study design and specifically focused on the appraisal of the land registration records in Zanzibar. The targeted population for the interviews was the employees under the Commission for Lands responsible for land adjudication and registration. From the population of 195, a total of 27 officers were purposively sampled, nine of which were officers on land adjudication and the remaining 18 were on land registration. Qualitative data was analysed by narrative analysis, which seeks to understand the experiences and perspectives. The findings of the study are presented in narrative and descriptive reporting form. The results showed that the reality on the ground remains to be alarming as less than 10% of the land has currently been registered. The results further showed that the Office of the Registrar of Lands has no leading role in land registration, lack of institutional support, non-applicability of physical planning standards prior to registration, expensive land survey methods, limited application of electronic facilities, human resources and financial capacity. In order to reach the objective of the government on registering all lands of Zanzibar, this study recommends improvement of the Office of the Registrar of Lands, integrating planning standards, choosing cheaper demarcation costs and most importantly introducing electronic land registration system.

Transition from audio-visual archives to trusted digital repository at the National Archives of Zimbabwe

Amos Bishi — 2024-11-27

While many organisations are shifting from analogue to digital formats for audio-visual archiving, some institutions in developing countries continue to rely on outdated formats. This qualitative case study explored the ingestion of audio-visual archives into a trusted digital repository at the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ). The study was guided by constructs from literature, the life cycle concept and the digital curation centre (DCC) model. The DCC model was adopted in this study to facilitate understanding of how audio-visual archives in digital formats can be acquired, safeguarded, and preserved over a long period to enhance access. For data collection, one of the researchers physically visited the NAZ to conduct interviews, observations, and document reviews. The findings revealed that the ingestion of audio-visual archives was still at an embryonic stage. However, the reality of emerging digital technologies in audio-visual archiving enabled the NAZ to respond appropriately through the establishment of a film digitisation project. The slow uptake of digital audio-visual archives was attributed to the absence of an acquisition policy in place, outdated archival legislation, inadequate infrastructure, the absence of vibrant digital preservation strategies, and low levels of digital skills. Based on the research findings, the study concluded that the NAZ should embrace the transition of audio-visual archives to trusted digital repository. The study recommended a framework to facilitate the transition of audio-visual archives to trusted digital repository.