The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture and the Oral History Association of South Africa (OHASA) hosts the 10th Oral Annual History conference in South Africa. The conference will be held from 08-11 October 2013 in the Kimberley,

Northern Cape, under the theme “Centenary of the 1913 Land Act”. The theme speaks directly to the 1913 Natives Land Act legislation, an act that formed the cornerstone of segregation policies. Delegates at the conference will focus their deliberations on the Land Act and its impact on communities and the country at large.

The Department has successfully held conferences in all nine provinces since its inception in 2003. The conferences are aimed at promoting the use of oral history as a research methodology. They also create awareness of the National Archives’ drive to augment archival records of the previously marginalised communities whose experiences, customs and practices have not been given equal recognition. In this way, Oral History conferences serve to fill some of the gaps that exist in our archives and history books. They also help preserve the age-old practice of story-telling as a way of sharing information and knowledge.

The discourse provides a platform for oral history practitioners, academics and community activist to gather and deliberate on topics that widen our knowledge of the past and capture the narratives of unsung heroes and heroines.

Members of the Media are invited to attend.

Date  : 08 – 12 October 2013
Venue  : Horseshoe Inn, Memorial Road, Kimberley
Time  : 9h00

Media enquiries:

Mack Lewele at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 012 441 3083, 082 450 5076 or

Morapedi Sekhoane at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 0538074782, 0789440200

For more information and on Oral History in South Africa visit http://www.ohasa.org.za. Conference registration forms can also be downloaded from the same website.