Minister Anroux Marais opens SA Society of Archivists (SASA) Conference | Western Cape Government

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Minister Anroux Marais opens SA Society of Archivists (SASA) Conference

6 July 2017

On 5 July 2017, Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Anroux Marais opened the annual two-day South African Society of Archivists (SASA) Conference in Bellville. The theme of the 2017 conference was archives, records and innovation in the digital era. The event served as an information-sharing and networking opportunity for archive stakeholders and experts from Africa and abroad. 

A pre-conference interactive workshop on archival diplomatics and digital records forensics was facilitated on 4 July by Dr Corinne Rogers from Canada, coordinator of the international InterPARES Trust research project.

Head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) Brent Walters addressed the distinguished audience at the conference opening on how the Fourth Industrial Revolution will shape the future. SASA Chairperson Paul Mullon stressed the value of embracing new technology to keep our memories alive in different mediums. Chairperson of the Western Cape Archives Advisory Committee Petro Coreejes-Brink spoke about the importance of partnerships and learning from each other in the creation of new heritage. Goolam Mohamed, Neill Payne and Mark Meyer from DCAS spoke about progress in the implementation of the Western Cape Government’s enterprise content management (ECM) system.

Minister Marais spoke about the contribution that Western Cape’s recently released Digitisation Policy, Records Management Policy and the Electronic Signature Policy will make to support the efforts of Western Cape governmental bodies in digital archive management. “The authenticity and credibility of digital records and their security are still highly contentious matters.  I trust that this conference will afford all delegates the opportunity to gain further insight into archives, records and innovation in the digital era, and what works best in their respective contexts”, she said.

In her keynote address, Dr Rogers spoke on information ethics and the application of digital forensics in archival practice. The complete address is available online.

DCAS supports digitisation of Western Cape governmental bodies. Let’s embrace the evolving digital landscape and preserve our rich history for present and future generations BETTER TOGETHER.

THE NEXT SASA CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 3 TO 5 JULY 2018 IN EAST LONDEN IN THE EASTERN CAPE.

Media Enquiries: 

Stacy McLean
Spokesperson for Minister Anroux Marais
Email: Stacy.McLean@westerncape.gov.za
Tel: 021 483 4426
Cell: 083 504 1171