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Arts and Culture Deputy Minister, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, will launch the 2016 National Archives Awareness Week on Monday, 09 May 2016 at the Provincial Archives Building in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga   

The MEC of the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, Ms Norah Mabhena-Mahlangu, will join the Deputy Minister during the launch. The 2016 National Archives Awareness Week will be celebrated from 09 - 13 May 2016 under the theme: “Archives for the protection of human rights, transparency and good governance”.        
A decision was taken by the International Council on Archives’ (ICA) conference that countries should celebrate Archives Week Annually in their respective countries. The aim of the Archives Awareness Week is to popularise the profession and to engage communities around the importance of archives in the preservation of societal memory. The week also seeks to promote the importance of good record keeping practices as well as to allow public access to archival buildings for them to witness archival functions and services.

“In the South African case, archives have been deliberately kept in obscurity as the result of the machinations of the previous dispensation. The collection policies were lopsided and did not reflect the proper demographic makeup of the country”, remarked Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi.

“The celebration of the Annual National Archives Week is intended to promote the use of Archives and the profession in general. Individuals become exposed to how research is conducted in archives. What services archives offer and processes needed to access classified information”, added Mabudafhasi.

“This awareness week will involve amongst others, presentation on archival functions and services; touring of the Mpumalanga Archives Building; viewing of the Exhibition; film screening; information on archival career, panel discussion on records management; panel discussion of preservation and collection of archival material”, concluded Mabudafhasi.

The 2016 Archives Awareness Week also forms part of the Africa Month celebrations under the theme, “Building a Better Africa and a Better World”. The month of May has been dedicated as Africa Month to celebrate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on 25 May 1963, which is now called African Union (AU). The Deputy Minister will visit Kamagugu Inclusive School in Nelspruit at 07:30 prior to the launch to entrench our African identity. The visit to the school will include hoisting of the national flag, promotion of the correct etiquette of singing the National Anthem and African Union Anthem and the promotion of constitutional values through recitation of the Preamble of the Constitution in different languages.

Issued by Government Communications and Information System on behalf of the Department of Arts & Culture