A wildfire on the slopes of South Africa’s Table Mountain has wreaked havoc at the University of Cape Town campus. Among the sites of historical significance that have been damaged is the Jagger Library. The library houses rare and specialist collections, such as the important African Studies collections. The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked UCT academic Shannon Morreira to share her insights on what the loss means for the historical records held by the university.
Decolonising is a hard term to define as it relates to knowledge and curricula. But one core idea that’s emerged is that different kinds of knowledge need to be valued.The African Studies collection consists of an astonishing collection of works related to Africa. These range from works published from as long ago as the 1500s through to the present day.
A message from @UCTLibrary Executive Director Ujala Satgoor on the fire that devastated the Reading Room of the Jagger Library where @UCTLibrary_SC situated. pic.twitter.com/yj8c9NbA7O Having access to this archive allowed for reflection on what histories and kinds of knowledge were valued in the past, and what was left out.