The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government’s desire to decentralise the spread of information by bringing communities closer to their own history, memory and identity was fulfilled yesterday with the launch of community archives in Lupane — the Matabeleland North provincial capital.
The archives are a result of collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, through the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ) and the Kusile Rural District Council.
Speaking during the launch of the community archives, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Deputy Minister Cde Chido Sanyatwe said by launching the information centre, Government was aligning itself to established global standards.
“The establishment of community archives is one topical concept that has swept across the globe at a fast rate. This is a concept with recorded evidence that can be traced as far back as 1955 in New Zealand and has been adopted globally. All over Zimbabwe, there are collections of archives, representing the recorded memory of communities. The significance of archives in society, particularly concerning such concepts as memory, identity, accountability and power can never be overemphasised.
“They play an important role in our heritage and cultural well being but the quality of care they receive and their accessibility vary greatly, giving rise to concerns about the longevity of some. Cognisant of the risk being faced by these recorded memories, National Archives of Zimbabwe realised a need to undertake this initiative in all 10 provinces. The project resonates with the dictates of information governance that pronounce the need for securing information resources of any given organisation. The ministry, through the Department of National Archives of Zimbabwe, has recorded significant strides towards bridging the rural-urban information gap through this initiative,” she said.
Dep Minister Sanyatwe said the launch of community archives, such as the one in Lupane, was part of the Second Republic’s ambition to decentralise key resources that could benefit and benefit communities around the country.
“The devolution and decentralisation agenda being championed not just by the department, but even by the Second Republic is entrenching participatory democracy by ensuring that tools of trade and capacity building are given to the communities. This is evidenced by the participation of communities in managing their heritage in line with the Government’s thrust of grassroots empowerment and devolution towards Vision 2030. This will help in knowledge transfer on records, archives and information management; promoting an archiving culture among various institutions, and promoting remote access to information. Relatively, the ministry should acquire, preserve and provide access to the nation’s documented heritage,” she said.
Dep Minister Sanyatwe said it was only fitting that the community archives were launched in Lupane, given the abundance of resources in the Matabeleland North that were shaping the country’s economy.
“The decision to partner with the Kusile Rural District Council was well informed by the immense influence and impact the council has in the socio-economic affairs of the district. With it being at the centre of wealth creation from water to wildlife, from coal to cattle and timber to precious methane gas, the role of the Kusile Rural District Council in the devolution agenda can never be overlooked. That calls for measures to ensure the preservation of information resources that serve as evidence to the developmental agenda, in line with good information governance practices. With the NDS1 approaching its concluding stages, the ministry under the anticipated NDS2 intends to cascade the project down to the district level in all provinces. As you may all be aware, community archives are a reflection of our culture and identity as a people and are an important part of our heritage,” she said.
The Government’s stated ambition of creating an upper middle-income society by 2030 was only achievable by having a citizenry that had information at its fingertips, Dep Minister Sanyatwe said. “My ministry considers these community archives an important player in the information value chain and recognises the effective management of the records and archives as the essential precondition of good governance and administrative transparency. The Second Republic’s vision of an upper middle-income society by 2030 is only achievable through the creation of a knowledge society, and I am happy to acknowledge the role of these information centres towards the attainment of that vision. The National Archives of Zimbabwe has other projects of national significance that it has embarked on. Of notable interest is the documentation of the liberation struggle heritage. Lupane, being the place for the famous Pupu Battle which symbolised the beginning of resistance against the settler regime, naturally becomes a district of interest to this project,” she said.
Kusile RDC CEO Mr Sifiso Hadebe said the launch of the centre would go a long way in helping the council take better care of its own records.
“The World Bank, 2 000 states that ‘local authorities need to know that without records management, which is good in practice, they will not be able to account and deliver transparently good governance, and good service delivery to citizens’. The management of local authority records is a critical element for corporate memory that must be supported by policy, rules, regulations and procedures. Some records could not be retrieved when the need arose as these were filed without using proper processes or systems of continuum care of records. National Archives of Zimbabwe’s intervention is the initial start of the journey towards council improved record management. The council must, as a matter of urgency, develop records management policy and procedures which is the strategic framework which shall guide it to be compliant with the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.
