Oral History Initiative launched in Elim | Western Cape Government

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Oral History Initiative launched in Elim

31 May 2018

On Tuesday, 29 May 2018, the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais, along with Paul Swart, Mayor of the Cape Agulhas Municipality, launched the Oral History Initiative in the historical Elim Moravian Church.

Over 100 people from the Elim community attended the launch. Their stories were captured on disk by the Museum Service Technical Division and the disks were handed over to the Elim Public Library and the Elim Museum and Tourism Centre as well as members of the community. The department’s Archive Services also featured the history of Elim in an exhibition display at the Elim Moravian Church.

Minister Marais emphasized the importance of having communities’ stories told and recorded in order to preserve them in our Museums and Archives for generations to come.

Library Service also produced a booklet that contains the written stories of Elim -  this was the first time a booklet of written stories could be produced for this project. Minister Marais handed the booklet over to the various stakeholders to be made available to the community and to visitors to the area.

The department continues to support communities to capture and preserve their previously untold stories. Communities should support this initiative and keep their history alive by retelling it. Let us tell and preserve our country’s history for all community members BETTER TOGETHER.

Media Enquiries: 

Dr Tania Colyn
Head of Communication Service
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Tel: 021 483 9877 / 076 093 4913
E-mail: Tania.Colyn@westerncape.gov.za