National Archives Director Kholekile Mthethwa Library Director Nomsa Mkhwanazi
The Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology embarked on a benchmarking exercise at the National Library of South Africa and National Archives (South Africa) on 17- 18th October 2012. The Ministry’s delegation included Under Secretary Bhekithemba Gama, Library Director Nomsa Mkhwanazi, Assistant Director Library Victoria Khumalo, Librarian Rosemary Hlanze and National Archives Director Kholekile Mthethwa.
The purpose of the benchmarking exercise was to examine how these institutions achieve excellence in their performance with a view to the local institutions. It was also aimed at building relations since South Africa is considered to have some of the high performing institutions in Southern Africa in these sectors.
According to Mkhwanazi the experience was eye opening and also added that "we are in the process of signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assist each other on gaps and issues of preservation”. She further revealed that the South African Library is the only one on the continent and second in the world to have di- acidification equipment, which facilitates the removal of acid which causes damage in books.
Mthethwa pointed out that their department already had relations with National Archives (SA) where they assist them with the repatriation of migrated archives. She added that during their visit they had requested assistance on retrieving archives which were deposited at Killie Campbell Museum and Library in KwaZulu-Natal by Mary Beatrice Thorburn, whose husband Allister Miller was King Mbandzeni’s Private Secretary, Advisor and king’s nominee in the Swaziland Government Committee from 1889. She further noted that these records are important to the country since they have history about Swaziland dating back to the 1800s. “National Archives (SA) will accompany us to meet with the Management from Killie Campbell Museum and Library to get copies of the records," she said.