Cape Town - The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Robben Island Museum (RIM) have established a task team to improve their working relationship towards implementing the impending relocation of the Mayibuye archives.

This is according to Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa’s Parliamentary reply to DA MP Denis Joseph.

Kodwa and his office were quizzed for more details about the need to establish a task team for “improving the relationship” between the two, and the delays on the project, but they had not responded to this particular request at the time of writing.

Kodwa said the task team would look at the “practicalities” of the archives’ relocation and develop a plan to be endorsed by the governance bodies from UWC and RIM.

“The process faced minor delays. (The) new RIM council was appointed on July 1, 2022,” Kodwa said. “This had an impact on the progress as the new council had to be apprised and oriented on the Mayibuye archives matter.

“Discussions with various stakeholders are under way for resumption of the joint task team meetings with a view to put plans in place for the relocations.”

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa. Picture: Bongiwe Mchunu

While Kodwa offered no details on the relocation or the project, UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder said the institution had secured R112m towards the project, which is touted for commencement early next year.

Abarder said UWC has been in ongoing discussions with RIM’s successive boards and management representatives about securing the joint custodianship of the UWC-RIM Mayibuye archives to the two parties’ mutual benefit.

“In this regard, the University has raised R112 207 967 through a generous grant from the Department of Higher Education and Training, as well as its own contribution, and has begun to implement plans to relocate the Mayibuye archives from their present home in the UWC library to a new ‘state of the art’ facility on campus through the refurbishment of the existing Senate building,” Abarder said.

He said that UWC was now in the process of securing the additional funding required for the project and it’s anticipated that construction and refurbishment will start in early 2024.

“There are also ongoing engagements and collaborative work between RIM officials and UWC academics to support the use of the Mayibuye archives for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research as well as for public engagement and exhibitions,” Abarder said.

“The discussions between RIM and UWC continue to focus on our respective roles and responsibilities for the long-term sustainable preservation and use of the archival material.”

RIM spokesperson Melany Kuhn said she echoed UWC’s responses.

soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za

Cape Argus