Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? challenges of researching South Africa's military past

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dc.contributor.authorKleynhans, Evert Philippus en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGordon, Willen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2020-10-08T09:07:43Z
dc.date.available2020-10-08T09:07:43Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionCITATION: Kleynhans, E. & Gordon, W. 2020. Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? challenges of researching South Africa's military past. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, 48(1):97-114, doi:10.5787/48-1-1294.
dc.descriptionThe original publication is available at http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za
dc.description.abstractThe Department of Defence Archive in Pretoria is the repository of all military documents generated by the Union Defence Force, the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force. This makes it the foremost source of primary information for researchers of South African military history. However, an almost total ban on access to archival documents from 1 January 1970 onwards complicates research into later periods. In fact, anyone researching post-1970 military-related topics has to apply for access to archival documents through the Promotion of Access to Information Act. The traditional weapon in the armoury of the historian – the systematic trawling of archives – is thereby negated, while the methodology of post-1970 historical research differs significantly from commonly accepted historical practices. Finding aids, the only access route to classified information in this analogue archive, offer only the briefest descriptions of the content of files, and researchers need almost esoteric intuition to identify documents that are even remotely relevant to their research. Additionally, a fee is payable for declassification, and the process can take several months to complete. This review article reports on the theoretical workings of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, and uses an actual research example as a case study to illustrate the practical implications of conducting research at the Department of Defence Archive in South Africa based on classified military documentation.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1294
dc.description.versionPublisher's version
dc.format.extent18 pages
dc.identifier.citationKleynhans, E. & Gordon, W. 2020. Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? challenges of researching South Africa's military past. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, 48(1):97-114, doi:10.5787/48-1-1294
dc.identifier.issn2224-0020 (online)
dc.identifier.issn1022-8136 (print)
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.5787/48-1-1294
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/108866
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch University, Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University, Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)
dc.subjectSANDFen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth African National Defence Forceen_ZA
dc.subjectMilitary research -- 20th century -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectMilitary history -- 20th century -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa -- Department of Defence -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectUnion Defence Force (South Africa)en_ZA
dc.subjectDOD (Department of Defence) -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectUnion Defence Force (South Africa) -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa -- Union Defence Force -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectU.D.F -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectUDF -- Archivesen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth Africa -- Department of Defence -- Archival resourcesen_ZA
dc.titleLegislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? challenges of researching South Africa's military pasten_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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