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Taking stock of oral history archives in a village in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa: Are preservation and publishing feasible?


Acquinatta N. Zimu-Biyela

Abstract

In South Africa, the way oral history archives of rural villagers are managed calls for attention as it can limit the inclusivity, visibility, accessibility and  socio-economic development of rural communities, especially the younger generation. This article reports on a study that aimed to unpack some of the  opportunities and challenges regarding the preservation and publishing of oral history archives faced by a village community in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)  province. In addition, the study aimed to determine what the community knew about the South African legislative requirements regarding the  management of oral history archives. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, grounded theory design and a constructivist paradigm. The  postmodernist theory helped in gaining insight into how the principle of provenance is central when trying to understand the importance of inclusivity in  the management of archives in this digital era. The 21st century is haunted by many socioeconomic challenges such as the coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19), poverty, unemployment, inequality and social exclusion and giving space to the long-neglected oral history archives and counter archives or  identity archives cannot be over-emphasised. In this context, such an initiative is viewed as critical in curbing the scourges of inequality, social exclusion  and unemployment, particularly among the younger generation.


Contribution: This article calls for the reimagining of the way oral history archives of a  village are managed, preserved and published. In doing so, the use of a postmodernist approach and the provenance principle are viewed as critical in  helping promote inclusivity and visibility of the longneglected archives. The article argues that this approach may also help improve some of the  socioeconomic challenges faced by a village community when managing their oral history archives. 


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2072-8050
print ISSN: 0259-9422