Management and Preservation of Court Records: A Case Study of the Mthatha Magistrate Court, Eastern Cape, South Africa (original) (raw)
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Journal of the South African Society of Archivists, 2021
This article focuses on harnessing a records management programme for justice delivery at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The objectives of the study were to find the extent to which court records are managed for justice delivery, the influence of court records in court processes, and the challenges, if any, of managing court records for justice delivery. The population of the study comprised all those who created and used court records at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Quantitative data were coded and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010 while qualitative data were analysed using emerging themes based on the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that although records were important for justice delivery by the court, there were challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure, the lack of necessary knowledge and skills, ineffective control of records for justice delivery, and inadequate facilities for pr...
S.A. argiefblad, 2023
The management of electronic records has been a burning issue in many sectors, particularly the justice sector. Criminal justice institutions, such as courts and ministries of justice, suffer from inadequate management of court records, which undermines the legal and judicial systems. South African courts are overburdened with backlogs, delays, and corruption due to poor electronic record management. The dysfunctional management of electronic records has led to poor service delivery and justice for citizens. These concerns provided the impetus for research to assess the management of electronic records at Temba Magistrates' Court in the North West Province of South Africa. To achieve the stated aim, the study adopted a qualitative approach through a case study design. Data were collected by conducting interviews with purposely selected records officers, a records manager, registry clerks and document controllers. The findings of the study indicated that Temba Magistrates' Court has put in place relevant legislation and policies for managing electronic records. The study findings showed that staff are not complying with records management policy. The major findings of the study revealed that the Temba Magistrates' Court has experienced unforeseen consequences, including a backlog of cases, challenges of data storage, loss, and misplacement of electronic court records resulting from poor records management practices. The study concluded with recommendations for the need to motivate and encourage staff members to adhere to the records management policy. The study also revealed the need to adopt multifactor authentication mechanisms such as biometrics, passwords, and fingerprints to reduce or prevent unauthorised access to electronic court records. A comprehensive records management programme should be developed and implemented. It is concluded that staff members working at Temba Magistrates' Court should be suitably trained in all aspects of electronic court management.
Records management practices in selected municipalities in Limpopo province of South Africa
2021
Doctoral degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The high level of corruption and maladministration, lack of accountability and transparency in municipalities has become endemic and is a cause for concern in many municipalities of South Africa. The ability of any municipality to effectively perform its constitutional duties depends on the availability of relevant and comprehensive information from records. The poor state of records management in the government and public sectors in South Africa is a well-documented phenomenon. In considering poor records management practices in the public sector of South Africa, it is necessary to establish records management practices in municipalities. The purpose of this study was to examine records management practices in selected municipalities in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The underlying principle of the study was that municipalities in South Africa are mandated by legislation to manage records systematically. The stud...
Mousaion, 2017
The way in which an institution treats its records is crucial for its survival in a rapidly changing society. The purpose of the study was to investigate the records management practices and challenges faced by traditional institutions of leadership and governance in Ga Molepo, Limpopo, South Africa. The researcher employed a cross-sectional survey in order to quantitatively examine the challenges faced by members of traditional councils. A researcher-administered questionnaire was used as a data collection tool to study a stratified sample of 35 members from an estimated population of 350. The findings revealed patterns and trends of non-compliance with records management standards and guidelines. Although there were sporadic cases of record keeping, a greater number of respondents revealed that traditional institutions lack the facilities, equipment, education and trained/skilled personnel to apply correct records management procedures in their daily administration of their traditional communities. The main value of the study is to create awareness of records management as one of the neglected areas in traditional institutions – which are by current legislative arrangement, the closest form of leadership and governance for rural communities in light of their relationship with local municipalities and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The study sought to investigate the management of digital records in the Office of the Premier (OTP) in the Eastern Cape Province. The objectives of the study were to determine the compliance to the legal framework, identify the requisite infrastructure for digital records management (DRM), describe the security and preservation measures for DRM, and find out the challenges of managing digital records. The results of the study revealed that the OTP had taken a number of initiatives aimed at establishing records management practices. However, the results showed that the OTP is faced with a number of challenges in its efforts to manage digital records. Majority of those required to manage digital records lacked skills and competencies necessary for the implementation of an Electronic Document Management System. The study also revealed the need for OTP to overhaul the existing arrangements for the security and preservation of digital records.
Management of electronic records in the South African public sector
ESARBICA Journal: Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives
Many public sector organisations are struggling to properly manage their electronic records. The effective management of such records and their accessibility is crucial for the functioning of the public sector and provides citizens with evidence of that functioning. Recently, numerous public sector organisations have adopted newly developed technological tools to manage records, while some departments are still in the process of gradually introducing these. Electronic records are created through various information systems in government organisations but for them to be of full advantage in the realm of governance, they need to be carefully managed. Public sector organisations are positioning themselves to do just that by applying innovative mechanisms to deal with their records. An electronic records management system is expected to provide an integrated, efficient management of the records produced and stored in contemporary organisations. However, it is not a silver bullet to fix ...
2010
An effective and efficient records management programme is essential for the governance of any organisation. The control functions it exercises can make a vital contribution to the achievement of business objectives and administrative efficiency. However, there is consensus among researchers that many organisations struggle to develop records management programmes to meet business needs. Developing a records management programme is a highly complex and difficult task, to the extent that it is common for records management projects to exceed scheduled completion dates or not be completed at all. This article reports on the findings of an MINF research project (Ngoepe 2008) conducted at Unisa that sought to examine the principles involved in establishing a records management programme with specific reference to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in South Africa. Data were collected through online questionnaires, observation and interviews with a selected sample of people and analysed using open source software. The findings suggest that the commitment and support of top management are of enormous value in the implementation of a records management programme. The authors surmise that a records management programme will function effectively only if it is developed in the context
The purpose of this article is to examine, quantitatively, the importance of the quality of electronic records created and preserved to enhance accountability in the South African public service, with reference to a particular national department. Research conducted in relation to this article, utilised the South African Statistical Quality Assessment Framework (SASQAF) as a basis for determining the quality requirements of electronic records. Data was collected via a literature review and a self-administered questionnaire distributed among the staff of the Knowledge, Information and Records Management and Information System Unit of a national department. The study revealed that the particular national department did not sufficiently embrace SASQAF as a guide to improve the quality of its electronic records management. Accordingly, it is recommended that it should select relevant indicators and clauses to monitor the quality of its electronic records system, as outlined in the SASQAF. The research concludes with the view that a continued failure to transform current practices, would ultimately result in the department being unable to manage and preserve reliable and authentic records. This in turn will hamper informed decision-making and the provision of an effective and efficient service delivery process.
The management of High Court records in Botswana
Records Management Journal, 2009
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss issues pertaining to the management of court records in Botswana.Design/methodology/approachThe paper shows the use of questionnaires, structured and unstructured interviews with the High Court administrators and records keepers as well as personal observations on how records are managed, inspection of storage facilities and observations on records retrieval procedures.FindingsConcludes that in the past the management of legal records at the High Court received little attentions, but now the High Court has embarked on measures including the introduction of an automated court record system to manage its records.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that the effective management of legal records is of crucial to the administration of justice and that there is a need to pay closer attention to the management of court records.Originality/valueThis paper brings together issues related to the management of court records at the High Court in B...
2020
Proper storage of records ensures that they are continuously accessible. Proper storage is a vital aspect of every records management program. Good records management will promote efficient and effectiveness in ensuring regulatory compliance, minimizing litigation risks, supporting making informed decisions by providing timely and sufficient information. The aim of the study is to assess records management practices in the private and public sector in Botswana. A cross-sectional study with quantitative approach was completed in Gaborone between January 2019 and May 2019. Respondents who were included in the study were record management officers who work in public and private sector. A snowball sampling technique was used to find a specific number of participants who works in the private sector while a purposive sampling technique as used for records officers who work in public sector. All statistical modelling was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versio...