JUGOSIDAD DE LA CARNE DE CUY.

6.8.1 Staffing

There are five professional staff. The Director was trained in South Africa and this thesis is the product of his post graduate training in London. Three of the archivists were trained in Ghana and one in London. Together they would be able to carry out all the responsibilities involved in administering an archives, but they are too few to adequately manage Swaziland's semi­ active records, particularly as the ministries play no role in this procecss. There is also a professional librarian.

The support staff, on the other hand, is in excess of requirements for the present operations as was noted by the Management Services Unit after a recent investigation. During the 1980s when there was a tendency in the Civil Service to find posts for people who needed them, regardless of whether the posts could be justified, the support staff at the Archives increased significantly. There is an assistant accountant, a photographer, a clerical officer, a bookbinder, a driver, a typist, a

groundsman, three day security guards, a telephone operator, a messenger, cleaners and nightwatchmen. The total staff complement is twenty five. A number of these people have no real function at all.

The Director of the Archives has made repeated requests that the staffing level be increased; but to no avail. At the same time the Management Services U n i t ’s recommendation for a reduction in staff has also been ignored. The functions of the Archives and the staffing level needed to carry them out should be related to one another after a thorough review.

6.8.2 Budget

The Archives has its own vote, which is controlled by the Director without interference from the ministry headquarters. The department's current budget provides for expenditure under the following heads: personnel costs, communications, consumables and durables. The capital budget is dealt with if and when a capital project has been approved for a particular year.

The Archives derives many advantages from controlling its own budget. New plans are implemented without having to wait for a green light from the Permanent Secretary; money can be transferred from one head to another without causing over expenditure; and the Director can use the funds to

sen d an o f f i c e r to attend a c o n f e r e n c e or s e m i n a r at short

n o t i c e .

T h e S w a z i l a n d A r c h i v e s is b e t t e r f u n d e d t h a n the a r c h i v e s

in m a n y o t h e r A f r i c a n countries, for i n s t a n c e t h o s e

E n g l i s h - S p e a k i n g W e s t Africa. This is to a l a r g e m e a s u r e

a r e s u l t of S w a z i l a n d ' s overall e c o n o m i c p o s ition. The

e c o n o m y is g e n e r a l l y w e ll-managed, w i t h m i n i m u m c o r r u p t i o n

a n d is l i n k e d to that of S outh Africa. M a n y S o u t h A f r i c a n

c o m p a n i e s have o p e n e d b ranches in Swaziland. Mor e o v e r ,

c o m p a n i e s w h i c h w e r e p r e v e n t e d fro m o p e r a t i n g in S o u t h

A f r i c a by the i m p o s i t i o n of sanctions have f ound t h e i r n e w

hom e in Swaziland. Hence, the sh o r t a g e of c o m m o d i t i e s

e x p e r i e n c e d in A f r i c a has n ever b e e n a m a j o r problem. The

S w a z i l a n d Archives, like other g o v e r n m e n t offices, does not

hav e p r o b l e m s in m e e t i n g its b asic r u n n i n g costs, and its

o f f i c e s are w e l l - f urnished.

However, t here is a serious p r o b l e m ^ A r c h i v e s is t r y i n g to

c a r r y out a dual function. In a d d i t i o n to r u n n i n g the

a r c h i v e s repostory, it is in eff e c t t r y i n g to run a r e c o r d s

c e n t r e and a s s o c i a t e d activities. This has i m p l i c a t i o n not

o n l y for s t a f f i n g and supplies, but for b u i l d i n g

r e q u i r e m e n t s . W h i l e the study has d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t the

A r c h i v e s b u i l d i n g is adequ a t e for m a n y y e a r s to come, a n e w

r e c o r d s c e n t r e is d e f i n i t e l y needed. The b u d g e t

i m p l i c a t i o n s wil l have to be explored.

CHAPTER SEVEN

CONCLUSION

7.1 OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS OF MANAGING RECORDS