The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is mandated by Cabinet to lead the National Oral History Programme for South Africa. The programme seeks to yield information that will be added to the information already existing in the country’s Archival holdings. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture through the National Archives of South Africa is organising the conference through Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA), in collaboration with Gauteng Provincial Archives under the theme “Memories and Stories of our Times: Celebrating 20 Years of Telling Oral Histories”.
The Oral History Association of South Africa was formed by oral history practitioners from all walks of life to spearhead the process supported by Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. OHASA holds conferences annually hosted on rotational basis by Provinces. This conference seeks to bring together scholars from around the discipline of Oral History to look at the lessons learned and new ways of gathering information.
The year 2023 marks a significant milestone for the Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) as we celebrate the organization’s 20th Anniversary since its establishment. The upcoming 20th Anniversary Conference will serve as both an exciting celebration and a moment of deep reflection on the remarkable journey undertaken thus far. It will be an occasion to take stock of OHASA’s achievements, share rare and invaluable moments, and chart the course for the organisation’s future endeavours.
In South Africa, because of colonialism and apartheid there are gaps in the public records and public knowledge, which are caused by deliberate omission of African knowledge, technologies, stories, and philosophies from the mainstream of South Africa’s body of knowledge. Such omission concerns various aspects of African and other disadvantaged experiences in areas such as politics, economics, social development, health, culture, gender issues, sports, and religion. These aspects are inadequately represented and urgently need to be redressed.
The retrieval and dissemination of oral history and oral traditions are vital to fill the gaps in the education system. It is important to integrate this knowledge not only in the formal curricula, but also into indigenous education for preservation of our heritage and culture. OHASA is tasked with assisting South African communities in retrieving neglected indigenous and community knowledge as a way of promoting social, economic, and cultural development.
To reconstruct those aspects of the nation’s memory that is not recorded preserved and conserved in the National/Provincial Archives and other relevant institutions and organizations. The programme seeks to create an awareness of the value of oral history and oral traditions within the nation through recording, preservation, and conservation of data in the indigenous languages.
A pre- conference training workshop will precede the conference on 9 October 2023.
The conference is normally attended by academics, NGOs and ordinary members of the communities who have interest in oral history. Interested organisations and individuals can visit the website of Oral History Association of South Africa.
VENUE: Maropeng Cradle of Humankind in Mogale City – Gauteng Province
DATE: 10 – 13 OCTOBER 2023
TIME: 08H00-16H00 DAILY
Enquiries:
Ms Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communications | Cell 072 172 8925 | Email: zimasav@dsac.gov.za
Mr Litha Mpondwana: Media Liaison Officer: Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture │ Email: LithaM@dsac.gov.za │ Cell: 064 802 3003
Click here to download the media statement