Management of Electronic Mail: A Challenge for Archivists and Records Managers in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa

Abstract

While the use of electronic mail (e-mail) is common in most government agencies, there seem to be no proper systems and procedures in place for the systematic capture and management of this format of records. A study I carried out in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, which forms part of my PhD thesis, found that most government agencies in Botswana and Namibia do not have policies that guide the creation and management of e-mails whereas these exist in South Africa. This article looks at the use of e-mail in government agencies and how the records generated are handled. Further, the article argues that archivists and records managers need to be seriously involved in advising record creators on proper capture and management of records generated by use of e-mail systems as these form an important part of the organisations' recordkeeping system. Keywords: Electronic Mail, Botswana, Namibia, Recordkeeping, South Africa ESARBICA Vol. 27 2008: pp.72-83