Thousands of pages of government documents may have been illegally destroyed.
Piles of documents from the departments of education, transport and rural development and agrarian reform were allegedly handed to a recycling company.
Some had already been shredded when the discovery was made.
Bags and boxes filled with information of employees of the former Transkei and current governments – some dating back to the 1800s and others as recent as 2012 – were retrieved before being destroyed in Mthatha on Friday.
Some of the files included personnel information such as leave requisitions and claims, copies of ID and drivers licences and sick notes.
A driver’s licence form belonging to the chief of staff of the rural development and agrarian reform, Happyboy Kwetana, was among those found in the pile.
Documents from the transport department, however, contained personal information of ordinary members of the public including public driving permits (PDPs), warrants of arrests and traffic ticket books. It also contained vehicle log books and attendance registers.
It was not clear yesterday who had contacted the recycling company.
The head of the Mthatha Archives Repository, Pheko Khatlake, said any government information that is to be disposed of has to go through the repository first.
“The Eastern Cape has a provincial archives act. It clearly says no government institution may dispose of records without the approval of the Eastern Cape Provincial Archivist. They should write to the provincial archivist and seek approval.”
He said former employees, who want to claim pensions and may want such documentation, may be hindered from doing so because of missing documents.
He said the information was also needed for the province’s social memory and continuity.
Khatlake said destroying information that is not meant to be destroyed could open the government to litigation.
According to the National Archives and Records Service Act of 1996, no public record under the control of a governmental body should be transferred to an archives repository, destroyed, erased or otherwise disposed of without the written authorisation of the national archivist.
“Any person who wilfully damages any public or non-public record in the control of a governmental body or otherwise than in accordance with this act or any other law, removes destroys, erases such a record shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both,” the law further states.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived at the Botha Sigcau Building on Friday, employees from a local recycling company were busy removing boxes full of documents and taking them to the basement.
The documents had been placed in the foyer for some time before Khatlake saw them and alerted the various departments.
Transport spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca and education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima had not responded to questions at the time of writing. Mtima’s phone was off.
Rural development and agrarian reform spokesman Mvusi Sicwetsha said the first he’d heard of it was with the Dispatch’s request for comment. He said the department contacted the district office, which assured it that the information would be taken to the provincial archives. Sicwetsha visited the building shortly after.
“When I arrived, I was shocked to see important documents which included the driver’s licence documentation of our chief of staff with his ID number and those of other people,” said Sicwetsha.
“The department’s documents like asset control books, attendance registers and some forms and reports were also there.
“The challenge goes beyond our department and we remind colleagues about the sensitive nature and the importance of information in government departments.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
State records sent to trash
Piles of documents from the departments of education, transport and rural development and agrarian reform were allegedly handed to a recycling company.
Some had already been shredded when the discovery was made.
Bags and boxes filled with information of employees of the former Transkei and current governments – some dating back to the 1800s and others as recent as 2012 – were retrieved before being destroyed in Mthatha on Friday.
Some of the files included personnel information such as leave requisitions and claims, copies of ID and drivers licences and sick notes.
A driver’s licence form belonging to the chief of staff of the rural development and agrarian reform, Happyboy Kwetana, was among those found in the pile.
Documents from the transport department, however, contained personal information of ordinary members of the public including public driving permits (PDPs), warrants of arrests and traffic ticket books. It also contained vehicle log books and attendance registers.
It was not clear yesterday who had contacted the recycling company.
The head of the Mthatha Archives Repository, Pheko Khatlake, said any government information that is to be disposed of has to go through the repository first.
“The Eastern Cape has a provincial archives act. It clearly says no government institution may dispose of records without the approval of the Eastern Cape Provincial Archivist. They should write to the provincial archivist and seek approval.”
He said former employees, who want to claim pensions and may want such documentation, may be hindered from doing so because of missing documents.
He said the information was also needed for the province’s social memory and continuity.
Khatlake said destroying information that is not meant to be destroyed could open the government to litigation.
According to the National Archives and Records Service Act of 1996, no public record under the control of a governmental body should be transferred to an archives repository, destroyed, erased or otherwise disposed of without the written authorisation of the national archivist.
“Any person who wilfully damages any public or non-public record in the control of a governmental body or otherwise than in accordance with this act or any other law, removes destroys, erases such a record shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both,” the law further states.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived at the Botha Sigcau Building on Friday, employees from a local recycling company were busy removing boxes full of documents and taking them to the basement.
The documents had been placed in the foyer for some time before Khatlake saw them and alerted the various departments.
Transport spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca and education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima had not responded to questions at the time of writing. Mtima’s phone was off.
Rural development and agrarian reform spokesman Mvusi Sicwetsha said the first he’d heard of it was with the Dispatch’s request for comment. He said the department contacted the district office, which assured it that the information would be taken to the provincial archives. Sicwetsha visited the building shortly after.
“When I arrived, I was shocked to see important documents which included the driver’s licence documentation of our chief of staff with his ID number and those of other people,” said Sicwetsha.
“The department’s documents like asset control books, attendance registers and some forms and reports were also there.
“The challenge goes beyond our department and we remind colleagues about the sensitive nature and the importance of information in government departments.” — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos