Event Report: 4th Heritage in War and Peace Conference, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Dr. Charlene Musiza virtually presented at the Heritage in War and Peace Conference on 5 December 2024 (see programme and book of abstracts). Her presentation titled ‘Digitization of cultural heritage: The protection and preservation of traditional cultural expressions in South Africa’ focused on the country’s legislative and digitization efforts aimed at protecting Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE). She highlighted the existing and proposed laws, their implications, and the role of digitization in safeguarding indigenous knowledge. 

She discussed the wholesale amendments brought by the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act (IPLAA), which amends IP laws to protect indigenous knowledge as a species of intellectual property, including traditional works, designs, and expressions. She also discussed the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Act (IKS Act), which establishes the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Office (NIKSO) to protect knowledge related to cultural, medical, agricultural, and scientific practices. She emphasised that these laws are not yet in force.

Discussing the digitization efforts, she highlighted the National Indigenous Knowledge Management System (NIKMAS), which is a digital repository for capturing, managing, and preserving indigenous knowledge, including audio/visual recordings and photographs of oral, visual, and performed aspects of TCE. She noted that Phase I focused on indigenous knowledge relating to medicines and foods, and it was anticipated that the next phase would focus on indigenous knowledge relating to arts and crafts,

Charlene emphasised that the legislative framework is currently fragmented, with key laws like the IPLAA and IKS Act not yet in force, creating uncertainty. She underscored the critical importance of aligning legislative efforts with digitization strategies to protect and preserve the country’s rich indigenous heritage. She noted the need to expedite the implementation of pending legislation, increase investment in digitization technologies and awareness campaigns to support indigenous communities, and develop clear regulations for access and use of digitized indigenous knowledge to balance protection with benefits for the communities