PRESENTATION TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE: ARTS

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• PRESENTATION TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ARTS
  CULTURE
• NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• 28 MAY 2008
• Dr Graham Dominy
• National Archivist
• Department of Arts and Culture

NATIONAL ARCHIVES ANNUAL REPORT 2004 - 2005
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INTRODUCTION

• Report is submitted in terms of the National
  Archives and Records Service Act of South Africa
  (Act No 43 of 1996 as amended)
• The National Archives is an integral part of the
  Department of Arts and Culture and its PFMA
  compliance reporting is part of the DACs annual
  report.

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FISCAL STATUS OF ARCHIVES ADVISORY COUNCIL

• The National Archives Advisory Council is
  likewise not a public entity and is budgeted for
  as part of the DAC Programme 6.
• As with the Geographical Place Names Committee,
  secretarial and administrative support is
  provided departmentally.

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FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES ITO ACT 43 (1)

• Preserve public and non-public records with
  enduring value
• Make such records accessible and promote their
  use
• Ensure proper management and care of all public
  records
• Collect non-public records of national
  significance of enduring value

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FUNCTIONS OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES (2)

• Maintain national automated archival information
  retrieval system (provincial participation)
• Maintain national registers of non-public records
  
• Assist, support, set standards and guidelines for
  provincial archives
• Promote awareness
• Generally promote preservation and use of a
  national archival heritage

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CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION

• Archives, other than national are an exclusive
  provincial legislative competency
• The National Archives has therefore transferred
  the archival services in Bloemfontein Cape Town
  Durban Pietermaritzburg and Port Elizabeth to
  the respective provinces

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PROBLEMS WITH FUNCTION SHIFT TO PROVINCES (1)

• Assignment of archives to provinces is logical
  from the heritage perspective, but poses serious
  practical problems
• Joined up approach to government information is
  contradicted
• Disputes over transfer of infrastructure
  jeopardizes safety of collections
• Shortage of skills is exacerbated

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PROBLEMS OF FUNCTION SHIFT TO PROVINCES (2)

• Needs of disadvantaged provinces not addressed
  EC GT LIM MP NC NWP
• Not a single provincial archives has the capacity
  to provide a fully effective records management
  service to local authorities
• Lack of clarity over archiving of records from
  regional offices of the Central Government
  especially the judicial system

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CORPORATE OVERVIEW pp 8 - 13

• Building SAs new archives system
• Transformation
• Supporting transparent and accountable government
• International engagement
• SA Mali Project Timbuktu Manuscripts

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PERFORMANCE REPORTS pp 14 - 39

• Acquisition, custody control
• Arrangement description
• Preservation
• Access and use
• Public programming
• Information systems
• Records management

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CORPORATE MANAGEMENT pp 39 - 45

• Organisation
• Finance
• Human resources
• Training
• Accommodation

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NATIONAL ARCHIVESADVISORY COUNCIL

• Advisory Role
• Membership
• Difficulties in obtaining nominations from
  provinces

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ThankYou