Residents of Kagiso were filled with excitement as the Gauteng Provincial Archives Centre officially opened its doors yesterday, 24 October 2018.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura along with Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Faith Mazibuko, Mogale City Executive Mayor Patrick Lipudi and West Rand District Municipality MMC Dennis Thabe officiated the opening of the centre.
In her opening remarks, MEC Mazibuko said the centre will store and preserve official public documents with a lifespan of 20 years and older. “With this state of the art centre, Gauteng residents will be able to access important documents such as birth and death certificates among others. which become public information after 20 years. The centre will protect and preserve not only public records but Gauteng’s rich history told and captured by the public”.
Documents not older than 20 years will be accessible from relevant entities or departments. While documents are still being collected from Gauteng regions to be stored, the centre will also host and facilitate other community programmes and services including oral history recording.
“We are humbled as Gauteng government to have this iconic structure in one of our townships. This is in line with government’s objectives of taking services back to the people. We want the people of Mogale City to be the first to benefit from this and also use it profitably and wisely as it is the first archive centre constructed and opened in Gauteng,” Premier Makhura said in an interview.