By Bida Elly David
South Sudan transitional national legislative assembly (R-TNLA) has passed the national archives and records management bill 2023 into its third reading stage with recommendations and amendments.
Representative of culture and national heritage committee of the assembly, Hon. Lokeris Lomilo Logeare, presented the report to parliament for further scrutiny in its second and third reading stage.
The bill is aimed at ensuring full and possible expression of culture and heritage in all aspects, including equal access to all cultures, particularly technology.
The bill also provides state the responsibility to create and maintain adequate documentation, acts as institutions, to establish good records and nominate senior officers in each organ.
Lomilo said that the bill provides for the preservation of all national archives.
The committee noted that the bill mandates that the chief executive officers of all local governments be responsible for recording and keeping public archives.
On financing, Hon. Lomilo noted that the bill mandates the directorate for national archives and museums to identify a source of funding for managing and implementing the bill.
“The bill provides the source of funding for the directorate before the end of each financial year,” he said.
The directorate prepares a budget and submits it to the advisory committee for its approval and recommendation to the minister.
The bill further provides penalties for destruction, removal of public records and archives, and illegal export of historical documents.
The chapter also provides claims of public records or archives that have been removed without papers from the authority in the past or in the future.
“The bill empowers the minister to issue regulations for effective and efficient implementation of the bill,” he added.
Meanwhile, the committee recommended the establishment of the required management houses for historical records and archives in the states and the administrative areas, respectively.
Nathaniel Oyet, the first deputy speaker of the assembly, noted that South Sudan has been affected by poor management of the national archives by the concerned institutions.
He said that management of the national archives under different hands, such as the ministry, directorates, and local governments, contradicts the safety and documentation of the historical records.
Oyet stated that South Sudan’s historical resources are at risk, noting that a lack of protection led to their destruction.
He suggested an independent authority be formulated to manage, keep, and gather information, as well as regulate the activities of the national archives.
MP Elizabeth James Bol reiterated the need for South Sudan to introduce a legal framework for importing cultural artifacts from Sudan and other countries for historical records.
“We have our national archives in Sudan, Egypt, the United Kingdom, and then Turkey,” she disclosed.
She said that being without archives and records buries the cultural and traditional history of the country, which will later affect the coming generations.
Elizabeth added that keeping the national archives in a safe place will educate South Sudan generally about culture and heritage.
She added that there is a need to employ national technical advisors with historical knowledge of culture, museums, and the documentation of particular archives.
“The current national technical advisors in the ministry are old with outdated knowledge and technical information. Let us have an authority, instead of advisory committee on the national archives,” she recommended.