Unveiling the Story of South Africa's Liberation!

The NaLHISA Liberation Heritage Research Portal

The National Liberation Heritage Institute of South Africa (NaLHISA) is committed to preserving and sharing the rich history of South Africa's liberation struggle. This Research Portal serves as a gateway to a curated collection of archives, institutions, and historical resources, offering researchers, scholars, and the public unparalleled access to documentation on the resistance against colonialism and apartheid.

Aims of the Research Portal

The NaLHISA Liberation Heritage Research Portal is dedicated to preserving, documenting, and making accessible the rich history of South Africa's liberation struggle. This portal serves as a central hub for researchers, scholars, and the public to explore archival material that reflects the resilience, sacrifices, and victories of those who fought against colonialism and apartheid.

Through this initiative, NaLHISA aims to:

Centralize access to historical records related to the national liberation movement.
Safeguard and promote the authentic and factual story of South Africa's liberation.
Encourage scholarly research and public engagement with liberation heritage.
Support digital preservation of archives to ensure longevity and accessibility.
Foster collaboration between institutions, researchers, and the broader community to build a comprehensive and evolving historical repository.

Objectives of the Research Portal

To achieve its mission, the portal is designed to:

Create a structured database of 60+ archival institutions, organisations, and collections that document South Africa's liberation struggle. Provide detailed descriptions, search functionality, and direct links to archival holdings.

Offer a user-friendly browsing and search experience to explore archives by institution, keyword, and historical period. Ensure wider public access to archival materials through a digital repository.

Provide a structured framework for researchers, students, and historians to explore and cite credible sources. Encourage new academic contributions by making materials more accessible for study.

Allow new archives and institutions to express interest in being included in the database. Regularly update and expand the collection with newly discovered or digitized materials.

Serve as a learning resource for schools, universities, and the general public. Support national efforts in heritage preservation and curriculum development related to South Africa's liberation history.

Our chosen Archival Organisations and collections

Mayibuye Archives

The University of the Western Cape Robben Island Mayibuye Archives houses a vast multimedia collection of materials relating tonthe liberation struggle. This archive has been used extensively by local...

National Heritage and Cultural Studies Centre (NAHECS)

NAHECS is a broad-based institution that focuses on archival, museum, heritage and cultural studies. Its vision statement reads, "NAHECS is a bona fide archival, curatorship and academic unit of the u...

Medu Art Ensemble Consolidation Project

MEDU ONLINE places in the public domain the archives of Medu Art Ensemble, a collective of cultural activists and art-makers whose creative cultural work inspired and mobilized people’s engagement in...

Historical Papers Research Archive: University of the Witwatersrand (Historical Papers)

The University of the Witwatersrand has, as one of its most valuable and prestigious heritage and research assets, the holdings of the priceless Historical Papers collections. Historical Papers is th...

Preserve the Past

Shape the Future

Partner with Us

Does your institution hold valuable records related to South Africa's liberation struggle? Join us in preserving and sharing this vital history by adding your archive to the NaLHISA Research Portal. We invite organizations, institutions, and collectors to submit their enquiries and be part of a growing repository that safeguards our national heritage for future generations.

Organization

Please provide a valid organization name!

Please provide a valid email address!

Name

Please enter your name!

Message

Please enter your message!