Story by Tichaona Kurewa
VICTORIA FALLS – ZIMBABWE has assumed the presidency of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA), following the successful hosting of the 28th edition of the conference in Victoria Falls.
The country will hold the leadership role for the next two years, with the Director of the National Archives of Zimbabwe, Ms Brenda Mamvura elected as president at the close of the conference this Friday.
She will be deputised by Ms Chileshe Lusaze, Director of the Zambia National Archives and Records Service, while Mr Gopolang Maakwe of Botswana will serve as Treasurer.
The position of Secretary General went to Mr Francis Mwangi, Director of the Kenya National Archives.
Ms Mamvura shared her vision for the region and credited her rise to the presidency to strong government support.
“There are also issues around community participation. In Zimbabwe, we have been engaging communities to establish community archives, and I would like to see the region embrace this initiative. It will help us acquire, preserve, and provide access to our history at the grassroots level. Future generations will benefit greatly from this,” she said.
“To ascend to the presidency of ESARBICA, you must have successfully hosted a previous conference. I want to sincerely thank the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage for the tremendous support they provided in preparing for this event, from the advice we received from our principals to the teamwork across our ministry.”
Ms Mamvura holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
She also outlined some of the key resolutions passed during the conference.
“Among the key resolutions, the conference agreed to embrace the latest technologies in records and archives management. We also resolved to increase collaboration across projects and programs, and to prioritise the training and capacitation of junior archivists to ensure professionals stay up to date with current trends.”
The conference is a significant platform for archival professionals, researchers, and institutions to share knowledge, tackle emerging challenges, and chart a future for records and archives management in the region.
The next ESARBICA conference will be hosted by Zambia in 2027.
