Transversal Records Management Mandate to Provincial Departments by the Limpopo Provincial Archives

Abstract

Records management is a practice that can no longer be ignored or sidelined from other business activities, since it has become the heart in which the success of most activities lie and upon which accountability for activities is sought. Hence, the South African government also places emphasis on it by ensuring that archival institutions are established and given the mandate to ensure the proper care and management of records provincially. The purpose of the study is to investigate the support provided by the provincial archives for the management of records in the government departments of the Limpopo province in South Africa. To uncover the problem under study, a positivist research paradigm was applied as the paradigm for the study. In addition, a multi-methods approach was used; therefore, the study was fully quantitative and partially qualitative. Moreover, a case study is applied as the research design of the study. Data for the study were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The total sample of the study was 86 and the study achieved 71% response rate. The data were analysed through univariate analysis, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the constant comparative method. The records life cycle is used as the theoretical framework of the study in order to frame the study and to address the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that although the provincial archives of Limpopo are not adequately resourced, they are able to render some of the key records management support to the provincial departments. These include, but are not limited to, the granting of disposal authority, facilitating disposal and transfer of records, conducting appraisal of records, approval of classification systems, and records management training. The study recommends that provincial archives should be provided with adequate resources to be able to provide sufficient records management support throughout the life cycle of a record. The archives should conduct educational workshops, provide trainings, and conduct inspections on a regular basis as strategies to improve their archival support.