The implications of the National Archives and Records Services Act on archival practice in Botswana

Abstract

Archival legislation is the basis for records and archives management in any country. The National Archives Act of Botswana was enacted in 1978 to give the Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS) its mandate to provide a framework for conducting records and archival functions in Botswana. It mandates BNARS to collect, preserve and make accessible the nation's documentary heritage. In recognition of its deficiencies, amendments were made in 2007 to incorporate the management of current records, electronic records and recognition of private archives. A review of this legislation reveals that these amendments fared way below expectations as the Act currently has serious weaknesses that need to be addressed to improve archival practice in the country. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to examine the National Archives and Records Services Act in Botswana and its implications on archival practice in the country. This paper took a qualitative approach utilising documentary review to collect data and content analysis. This is an original study using a documentary review to review the archival legislation in Botswana. The findings of this paper would contribute towards the literature in archival legislation in Botswana and the ESARBICA region.