On 11 October, the Robben Island Museum (RIM), in partnership with the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) and Agence Française de Développement, hosted the launch of the Unboxing Mayibuye Project.
Robben Island, a symbol of the triumph of human spirit over adversity, holds a place in South African history and the nation’s memory of the liberation struggle.
The UWC Robben Island Mayibuye Archives is housed at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and managed by RIM. It is a rich resource of SA liberation history, depicting the resistance to apartheid during the 1950s up to the first democratic election in 1994.
The “Unboxing Mayibuye – Access to Digital Heritage” project will, over the next three years, initiate and establish the framework for digital preservation within the Mayibuye Archives and provide improved access to some collections.
“In our quest to create more touchpoints for our people to engage with South Africa’s public and cultural heritage, this project paves the way to expand our reach, while making sure history and heritage remain relevant and accessible, especially given the ever-increasing uptake of digital communications,” said Tshima Nemaheni, RIM Chief Heritage Officer.
RIM and INA have partnered together on this project that is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The organisations are aligned, through a common mission and ambition, to transmit and develop knowledge and innovation, in order to preserve and give access to national heritage that resonates internationally.
“INA is proud and honored to be entrusted by the Robben Island Museum with supporting the preservation of its precious collection, documenting the history of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and beyond. A unique collection part of South Africa’s memory and our universal legacy. The implementation of training actions for RIM staff as well as national and regional professionals will help foster the cross-border sharing of knowledge and expertise. My gratitude also goes to AFD, its teams and its President, Mr Rémy Rioux, for their commitment to this heritage project of global influence which could not have been achieved without their early and lasting support.” Laurent Vallet, INA CEO
This aligns with key values embodied by our development partners:
“Promoting culture and heritage is one of the key commitments of AFD. We see culture as a global public good and a driver for sustainable development. This project will allow increased access to culture, to knowledge, to a better understanding of how what happened in Robben Island could inform future decisions. We are very proud to support this historic project.” Audrey Rojkoff, AFD Regional Director for Southern Africa and Country Director for South Africa
The project technical partner, INA, will design and implement training activities and technical support. A selection of material from two of the UWC Robben Island Mayibuye Archives iconic collections will be digitized and made accessible within the framework of cultural, scientific and educational activities, co-created by RIM and INA.
The first collection, the International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) collection, established in 1956, was sent to South Africa from London after it closed its doors in 1990, following the unbanning of anti-apartheid organizations at the time. IDAF provided legal and social support to anti-apartheid activists and their families and launched ongoing international campaigns against the SA Nationalist apartheid regime.
The second iconic collection, known as the Apple Box Archives but officially recorded as the Robben Island Political Prisoners Recreational Committee contains the rich collection of documents and artefacts donated by former Robben Island political prisoners after their release in 1991. Upon their release from the Island, most prisoners carried their belongings in cardboard boxes, many of which were apple boxes.
The project allows the Mayibuye Archives to expand its reach to wider audiences, to ensure that the voices of the past are never silenced, to keep the traces and testimonies of the South African anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles alive in both South African and global consciousness.
The project launch event took place on October 11 at the Robben Island Museum hosted by the project partners. It was followed by roundtable discussions on October 12, held at the Mayibuye Archives at the University of the Western Cape. These discussions involved engaging with memories, access and the liberation archive and exploring innovation and technologies for managing and providing access to archives.
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RIM
Robben Island Museum (RIM) is a public entity responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing Robben Island as a national estate and World Heritage Site. It was established by the Department of Arts and Culture in 1997. RIM implements a wide range of conservation, educational, tourist development, research, archiving and general heritage programmes that are designed to achieve its mandate; conserve the Island’s natural and cultural resources and heritage; and promote it as a platform for critical debate and life-long learning.
INA
The Institut national de l’audiovisuel (INA), a unique model in the world, is a media rich in 80 years of television, radio and web memory. It archives, preserves, digitizes and distributes to all audiences one of the richest audiovisual libraries. INA produces and distributes original works, provides content to journalists, directors and experts, trains student and professional communities, and develops an ambitious research and innovation activity. In a context of multiple changes, the Institute participates in the reinvention of the audiovisual and digital ecosystem by deploying an expertise that makes it a distinctive media, anchored in time and memory, keen to transmit the knowledge and expertise of which it is the custodian. INA commitment to the safeguarding of cultural heritage in South Africa started in 2013 as the Institute has been working alongside the National archives and records authority of South Africa (NARSSA) for the preservation and access of the Rivonia Trial (1963-1964) recordings, sharing its knowledge allowing the ongoing digitization of the Treason Trial (1956-1961) recordings.
AFD
AFD Group implements France’s policy in the areas of development and international solidarity. The Group includes Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which finances the public sector and NGOs, as well as research and education in sustainable development; its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to private sector financing; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency. The Group finances, supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South. Our teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis. We strive to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity and peace, as well as gender equality, education and healthcare. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and the French people to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Towards a world in common.
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