Die geskiedenis van die staatsargiefwese in Suid-Afrika, 1876-1910

Abstract

Afrikaans: Sedert Jan van Riebeeck se vestiging van 'n verversingspos aan die Kaap en die gepaardgaande daarstelling van 'n regeringstelsel in 1652, tot die aanstelling van die kommissie van ondersoek na die argiewe van die Kaapkolonie deur die Kaapse Goewerneur, sir Henry Barkly op 1 7 Julie 1876, was daar in die Kaapkolonie geen formele beheer oor die argiewe van die Kolonie nie. Tot op daardie stadium was die begrip "argiewe" nog nie gedefinieer nie en geen argiewe dus as sodanig ge1dentifiseer nie. Dit was ten spyte daarvan dat daar reeds die afgeslote amptelike dokumente van drie voormalige regerings tot 1806 was waarvan die grootste gedeelte in 'n versameling byeengebring en tot 1876 hoofsaaklik die verantwoordelikheid van die Kantoor van die Koloniale Sekretaris was. Bui te die Kaapkolonie was die si tuasie in soverre dit argiewe betref, niks beter nie. In Natal, die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat en die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek was elke staatsdepartement verantwoordelik vir die bewaring en versorging van sy eie dokumente en was die begrip "argiewe" soos di t sedert 1876 in die Kaapkolonie gebruik is, onbekend. Die kommissie van 1876 het die argiewe van die Kaapkolonie, gedefinieer, ge1dentifiseer, versamel, in 'n inventaris laat beskryf en reelings vir die bewaring daarvan getref. Daarna het die Kaapse Regering die inisiatief geneem met verskeie projekte van bronnenavorsing en -publikasie tot en met 1905. Daar was John Noble se ondersoek in 1879 en D. Erskine se bronnenavorsing tussen 1880 en 1885 in Landen, asook G. M. Theal se bronnenavorsing en -publikasie tussen 1880 en 1905 en A. Wilmot se besoeke aan Europa en OosAfrika in 1895 en 1904. Die Regering het oak twee argivarisse aangestel, nl. G.M. Theal (1879-1881) en H.C.V. Leibbrandt ( 1881-1908). In 1905 en 1908 is Theal wat met bronnenavorsing en -publikasie in Leibbrandt, Koloniale Argi var is, Europa besig onderskeidelik was en a.g.v. finansiele besparing van owerheidswee, op pensioen geplaas. Die bronnenavorsing en -publikasies het tot 191 0 nie weer van regeringswee aandag gekry nie. Wat die argiewe betref, is die finansiele probleme oorkom deur 'n kommissie van kundiges gedurende 1909 aan te stel wat sander enige vergoeding na die argiewe sou omsien. In die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek is daar van 'n "argief" en "argiewe" gepraat, maar dit was bloat sinonieme vir bewaarlokale en staatsdokumentasie wat ook as "minuten", "oude stukken" en "documenten" beskryf is. Hoewel daar reeds in 1884 daadwerklik begin is om die dokumentasie van die staatsekretaris van die vroegste datum af te orden en te indekseer, daarna ook nog aandag aan die indeksering van huwelikssertifikate gegee is en daar selfs 'n argivaris in 1899 aangestel is, was daar Afrikaansche Republiek nooit soos in die Kaapkolonie nie. tot 1900 in 'n volwaardige Na die Bri tse die Zuidargiefdiens inname van Pretoria in 1900 moes daar vir doeleindes van raadpleging, beheer verkry word oor die staatsdokumentasie van die ZuidAfrikaansche Republiek en is 'n argiefdiens in die proses ingestel om die diens te lewer. Hierdie funksie het voortgegaan tot en met Uniewording in 1910. In die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat was daar geen argieffunksie nie. Die betrokke staatsdepartemente het self na hulle dokumente omgesien. Na die Vrede van Vereeniging in 1902 het die nuwe regering die argiewe van die voormalige Bibliotekaris regering van onder die beheer gekry deur die Staatsbiblioteek daarvoor verantwoordelik te maak. Hierdie reeling is in 1908 gestaak toe die argiewe na die Klerk van die Wetgewende Vergadering oorgeplaas is. In die kolonie van Natal was daar tot 1910 geen argieffunksie nie.

English: Since the establishment of a refreshment station and a system of government in 1652 at the Cape untill the appointment of the commission to investigate the archives of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope by the Governor Sir Henry Barkly on the 17th July 1876, no official control was exercised concerning the records of the Colony. At that time the concept of archives was undefined and no records were identified as archives. That was the situation, in spite of the fact that there were terminated official records which were created by the previous three governments untill 1806. The greater part of these records was kept in' a collection and was mainly the responsibility of the Office of the Colonial Secretary. The situation with regard to archives outside the boundaries of the Cape Colony did not differ much. In Natal, the Republic of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic each government department was responsible for the care and keeping of its own records while the concept of archives which applied in the Cape Colony since 1876, was unknown. The commission of 1876 set itself the task to define "archives" and to identify and collect the archives of the Colony. An inventory was then compiled on the archives and arrangements made for the treasuring thereof. Thereafter the initiative was taken by the government. Several projects concerning the research and publication of source material was undertaken. There was the investigation conducted by John Noble in 1879, the research done by D. Erskine between 1880 and 1885 in London, G.M. Theal's research and publication of source material between 1880 and 1905 and the visits paid by A. Wilmot to Europe and East Africa in 1895 and 1904. The Government also appointed two archivists, namely G.M. Theal for the period 1879-1881 and H.C.V. Leibbrandt from 1881-1908. Due to financial savings Theal was pensioned in 1905 while researching and publishing,· source material in Europe. Leibbrandt was retired in 1908 for the same reason. Untill 1910 no further attempts were made by the Government to research or publish source material. The financial problems as far as the archives were concerned were solved by the appointment of a commission of experts in 1909 to take care of the archives without any financial reward. In the South African Republic the terms "archive" and "archives" were used but both were synonyms for record rooms and records of the government. These records were also described as "minutes", "old papers" and "documents". Up to 1900 no archival service had been implemented in the South African Republic despite the fact that the government financed projects in 1884 and in the 1890's to arrange and index the records of the State Secretary of the South African Republic and of marriage certificates and even after the appointment of an archivist in 1899. After the British take-over of Pretoria in 1900 control of the government records of the South African Republic was necessary for the purpose of consultation. This need resulted in the installment of an archival service which continued untill unification in 1910. The Republic of the Orange Free State had no archival service. Each government department was responsible for its own records. After the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging in 1902 the new government brought the archives under control by placing them in the custody of the Librarian of the State Library. This arrangement came to an end in 1908 when the archives became the responsibility of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. In the Colony of Natal no archival function was executed untill 1910.