OVERVIEW OF THE ORAL HISTORY PROGRAMME AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF ZIMBABWE: IMPLICATIONS FOR NATION BUILDING AND SOCIAL COHESION

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sindiso Bhebhe
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
National Archives

This article will aim to give an overview of the development of oral history programme at the National Archives of Zimbabwe since the colonial period to the present. It will look at the strengths and weaknesses of the programme, especially in issues of inclusivity and exclusivity. The article will try to answer  questions such as whether the programme is national in its outlook or elitist in its approach, serving the interests of few dominant ethnic groups. How it is faring in giving a voice to those marginalised groups of the society will be another issue the article will consider. It will also look at the approaches and methodologies used to collect oral testimonies and how these bear in the long term on preserving and archiving these recorded testimonies. The article will mainly be based on the views made by interviewee’s who, when interviewed during the oral history programme, made passing statements about the programme. The environment encountered by archivists and the welcome given to them in different communities they visited during oral history exercises will be discussed, especially its implications on the success of oral traditions programme at the National Archives of Zimbabwe. The literature on oral history relating to National Archives of Zimbabwe will be reviewed and a document analysis will be done.

The Swaziland Oral History Project

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 383-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Political Position ◽  
Documentary Sources ◽  
National Archives ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Selection Of

In 1985 an oral history project was established in Swaziland, based in the National Archives at Lobamba. The Oral History Project set itself three tasks; the establishment of an oral archive on Swazi history; the publication of a selection of transcripts form the oral archive concerning the precolonial history of Swaziland; the popularization of precolonial history.The precolonial history of Swaziland is the history of a largely non–literate people. The colonial period is well–documented, but mostly from the perspective of the colonial administration. Oral traditions are thus a primary source for both the precolonial and the later history of Swaziland. The Project is concerned to preserve oral testimonies about all periods of Swazi history, including the immediate past. Special attention however, has been paid to the collection and preservation of the oral record pertaining to the precolonial history of Swaziland, a period for which documentary sources are largely absent.There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the relative stability of the Swazi kingdom and its high degree of centralization imparted to early Swazi traditions a unique chronological depth. Secondly, the varied circumstances of incorporation of its many component chiefdoms have endowed Swaziland with an exceptionally rich corpus of local and regional traditons. This diversity facilitates the development of a picture of precolonial life that moves beyond the elitist versions of history which have long dominated both Swazi history and precolonial history elsewhere in southern Africa. Not only are the surviving Swazi oral traditions about the precolonial past unusually rich, but Swaziland occupied a pivotal political position in nineteenth–century southeast Africa. Its traditions illuminate the processes and forces that shaped the history of the entire region

scholarly journals A forgotten past is the past that is yet to be

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 60-78
Author(s):  
Sindiso Bhebhe ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Natural Death ◽  
The Past ◽  
Working Model ◽  
The Government

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that has a running oral history association. In some countries, especially in southern Africa, these oral history associations have arisen and then died a natural death. For example, Oral Traditions Association of Zimbabwe (OTAZI) did not last long. Therefore, it is a positive development for South Africa to have a functioning oral history association. The Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) is the brainchild of the government and is mainly funded by the government. It is involved in the coordination and documentation of stories that were silent during the apartheid era. Therefore, with this highly perceived task it is necessary to critically evaluate its successes and failures in meeting the objectives of the National Oral History Programme (NOHP). This paper, through document analysis and purposively selected interviews, critically evaluates the achievements and shortcomings of the OHASA from its inception to present with the aim of proposing a ‘working’ model which involves the setting up of a monitoring and evaluating system. The paper concludes that although OHASA unveiled the muted marginalised voices, it soral history programme demonstrate elitism in critical emancipatory as mostly the stories of the elites are covered. Furthermore, such recorded stories are not accessible as the recordings are stashed in the boxes in archives repositories.

scholarly journals A forgotten past is the past that is yet to be

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 60-78
Author(s):  
Sindiso Bhebhe ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Oral Traditions ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Natural Death ◽  
The Past ◽  
Working Model ◽  
The Government

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that has a running oral history association. In some countries, especially in southern Africa, these oral history associations have arisen and then died a natural death. For example, Oral Traditions Association of Zimbabwe (OTAZI) did not last long. Therefore, it is a positive development for South Africa to have a functioning oral history association. The Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) is the brainchild of the government and is mainly funded by the government. It is involved in the coordination and documentation of stories that were silent during the apartheid era. Therefore, with this highly perceived task it is necessary to critically evaluate its successes and failures in meeting the objectives of the National Oral History Programme (NOHP). This paper, through document analysis and purposively selected interviews, critically evaluates the achievements and shortcomings of the OHASA from its inception to present with the aim of proposing a ‘working’ model which involves the setting up of a monitoring and evaluating system. The paper concludes that although OHASA unveiled the muted marginalised voices, it soral history programme demonstrate elitism in critical emancipatory as mostly the stories of the elites are covered. Furthermore, such recorded stories are not accessible as the recordings are stashed in the boxes in archives repositories.

Orality versus Written Legislation: Oral History as used in Zimbabwe`s Post-2000 Land Reform Programme

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
Livingstone Muchefa ◽  
Calvin Phiri
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
British Empire ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Oral Tradition ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
Reform Programme ◽  
National Archives ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Insight Into

Zimbabwe became a colony of the British Empire on 13 September 1890, and attained independence in 1980. During the colonial period of 1890 to 1980 land was expropriated primarily from the indigenous Ndebele and the Shona tribal groups through the institutionalisation of legislation that brought about the segregation of Africans and paved the way for settlement and farming by whites. Between 1980 and 1990 there was little progress in terms of resettlement programmes because of financial constraints and the terms and conditions of the Lancaster House Agreement regarding the willing seller willing buyer principle. There were serious economic challenges in the decade 1990 to 2000, but the period post 2000 witnessed brisk land repossessions which were spearheaded by war veterans and politicians. At the heart of the “land invasions,” as they were popularly termed, lay historical injustices. This paper seeks to provide an insight into the centrality of the oral tradition or oral history as legal basis for the land repossessions that took place. Neither legal recourse nor visiting archives and other information centres for the purposes of authentication were a priority. The Lancaster Constitution was viewed as an obstacle when dealing with land. The National Archives of Zimbabwe is placed in context within the situation discussed.

Interrogating Thompson’s Community Approach to Oral History with Special Reference to Selected Oral History Programmes in Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Sindiso Bhebhe
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Special Reference ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Community Approach ◽  
National Institutions ◽  
Archival Institution ◽  
National Archives

 Thompson (1998, 27) argued that “there have been telling criticisms of a relationship with informers in which a middle-class professional determines who is to be interviewed and what is to be discussed and then disappears with a tape of somebody’s life which they never hear about again—and if they did, might be indignant at the unintended meanings imposed on their words.” This is one of the criticisms that have been levelled at conventional oral history methodologies, especially those used by national institutions such as National Archives of Zimbabwe. It is Thompson’s argument that with the use of a “community approach” methodology, communities are empowered and then have confidence in writing their history which will be accessible to the public. This article will therefore interrogate Thompson’s concept using case studies of the Mafela Trust, the Tso-ro-tso San Development Trust and the National Archives of Zimbabwe to understand the positives and negatives of the community approach to oral history. The Mafela Trust is a private archival institution which deals with the memory of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) whilst the Tso-ro-tso San Development Trust deals with the San Community of Zimbabwe. These institutions have used oral history as a tool to collect their oral testimonies; therefore this article will use oral history testimonies, some of which are archived, as its source of data. Document analysis will also be done 

Safeguarding National Heritage through Conservation of Oral History Collections at Bulawayo National Archives, Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vimbayi Natalie Nhenga-Mugarisanwa ◽  
Peterson Dewah
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Conservation Unit ◽  
National Heritage ◽  
National Archives ◽  
Digital Formats ◽  
Depth Interviews

 Oral history collections are vital assets that represent national heritage. While transcribed collections are kept in a proper archival repository at the Bulawayo National Archives, the audio-visual collections are kept unprocessed and unprotected in unsuitable housing such as cardboard boxes within the Principal Archivist’s office. Storage conditions are not conducive and therefore, unbearable. The study, therefore, explored issues relating to how national heritage contained in oral history collections can be protected through conservation at the institution. In this regard, the study opted to employ the qualitative research methodology, using the case study research design. The informants were purposively sampled, while data were collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. Questionnaires were administered to the chosen respondents through hand delivery. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews that lasted between 20–30 minutes. The Director’s Annual Reports from 1990 to 2016 were analysed for the study. The findings of the study indicated that the Bulawayo National Archives captures and stores oral history in paper, cassettes, magnetic tape, and digital formats, and according to various subject areas; which include chieftaincy, minority groups, land question, religion and liberation wars. However, the institution does not have a conservation unit nor an Oral Historian in charge of the collections. In this regard, we recommend that the institution sets up a conservation unit to protect oral history collections, and facilitate the restoration of the already damaged and deteriorated oral history collections. 

ORAL HISTORY SOURCES AS LEARNING MATERIALS: A CASE STUDY OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
Gugulethu Shamaine Nkala ◽  
Rodreck David
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
National Archives ◽  
National University ◽  
Set Up

Knowledge presented by Oral History (OH) is unique in that it shares the tacit perspective, thoughts, opinions and understanding of the interviewee in its primary form. While teachers, lecturers and other education specialists have at their disposal a wide range of primary, secondary and tertiary sources upon which to relate and share or impart knowledge, OH presents a rich source of information that can improve the learning and knowledge impartation experience. The uniqueness of OH is presented in the following advantages of its use: it allows one to learn about the perspectives of individuals who might not otherwise appear in the historical record; it allows one to compensate for the digital age; one can learn different kinds of information; it provides historical actors with an opportunity to tell their own stories in their own words; and it offers a rich opportunity for human interaction. This article discusses the placement of oral history in the classroom set-up by investigating its use as a source of learning material presented by the National Archives of Zimbabwe to students in the Department of Records and Archives Management at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). Interviews and a group discussion were used to gather data from an archivist at the National Archives of Zimbabwe, lecturers and students in the Department of Records and Archives Management at NUST, respectively. These groups were approached on the usability, uniqueness and other characteristics that support this type of knowledge about OH in a tertiary learning experience. The findings indicate several qualities that reflect the richness of OH as a teaching source material in a classroom set-up. It further points to weak areas that may be addressed where the source is considered a viable strategy for knowledge sharing and learning. The researchers present a possible model that can be used to champion the use of this rich knowledge source in classroom education at this university and in similar set-ups. 

Labour History Holdings at the National Archives of Canada in Oral History

1988 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 229
Author(s):  
Richard Lochead ◽  
Daniel Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
National Archives ◽  
Labour History

scholarly journals Parental support in sports development of Brazilian gymnasts participants in the Olympic Games (1980-2004)

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-118
Author(s):  
Laurita Marconi SCHIAVON ◽  
Daniela Bento SOARES
Keyword(s):  
Oral History ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Sports Performance ◽  
Oral Testimony ◽  
The Subject ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Olympic Games

Abstract Sports development involves important aspects that collaborate towards the achievement of a high level sports performance. Parental support is one such fact to be considered in Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), capable of benefiting or harming athletes if not adequately administered. This study registers and discusses the importance of parental support in female Artistic Gymnastics, from the perspective of Brazilian gymnasts who have participated in the Olympic Games. The method used was Oral History with the technique known as oral testimony. The participants of the study were the ten Brazilian gymnasts who represented Brazil in the Olympic Games from when the country first participated in this championship, in 1980, up to the best Brazilian classification in Athens (2004), totaling ten gymnasts (a sample comprising 100% or the research universe). Testimony analysis was conducted through crossanalysis. The study shows unanimity among the gymnasts in regards to the importance of parental support in the sports development process. In addition to reinforcing the results found in the literature, the testimonies provide details of the relationships between the gymnasts and their families for deeper reflections around the subject, a distinguishing feature of studies with oral testimonies.

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