Archival legislation and the management of public sector Records in Zambia: a critical review

Abstract

Governments all over the world require comprehensive archival legislation to ensure that records and archives are managed accordingly for effective running of the current operations of organisation, as well as for posterity. This article argues that comprehensive legislation in the records management and archives administration act as a guiding principle to custodians and users of records and archives. Furthermore, the article discusses archives legislation in Zambia and its role in the control and preservation of records of enduring value. The article points out that the National Archives Act does not mandate the National Archives of Zambia to manage current records and this hinders its operations. The article concludes by making recommendations on the need for the National Archives of Zambia to extend its mandate tothe management of records in public intuitions, the need to manage electronic records and ensure that the Freedom of Information is developed and implemented.

Keywords: Archival legislation, electronic records, National Archives of Zambia, Freedom of Information