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Zanzibar National Archives

Page history last edited by darenray1 3 years, 7 months ago

Date of tip :  December 2006 (Updated June 2014) (Updated May 2018) (Updated June 2019)

Source: Alicia Altorfer-Ong, a.n.altorfer-ong@lse.ac.uk; Hollian Wint; Daren Ray, daren.ray@byu.edu; Delphine Froment

 

Location: Kilimani, about 1.5km from the centre of Stone Town, close to the Central Prison (Mafunzo).

 

How to get there: It is a 20-30 minute walk from the Old Post Office in Shangani, Stone Town. Go south on Kaunda Road, first passing the Mnazi Mmoja Hospital and later the Chinese-Tanzanian Friendship Dispensary on the right. Go past the Central Prison and take the first street (on the left) after Thabit Kombo Street. Go up the short street (which curves steeply) on the right, which is signposted - Zanzibar National Archives (SMZ Nyakala za taifa). The Archive is at the top of the street. Enter the building and go up the stairs to the first floor – the Director’s Office (for first time visitors) is the first office on the left and the search room is adjacent to it. Or just take a taxi the first time for Tshs 5000 (~US$2.50) from most parts of Stone Town. Any daladala headed to the airport will pass the archives; just stop at a stage near the prison (Tshs 30-100).

 

Language: Most archivists speak English but some Swahili would probably be useful. 

 

Getting started: A research permit is required – COSTECH approval from the mainland does not apply to the Zanzibar Islands. 

 

As of April/May 2014, applications are made to a Research Committee rather than directly to the Deputy Chief Minister. While the procedure remains the same, it now can take up to a month for the permit to come through. Researchers are often allowed access to the catalogues and collections located in the reading room while their applications are being processed, but this is at the discretion of the Director of Archives.  

 

As of March 2018, researchers must submit two separate applications to conduct research in Zanzibar: one to the Research Committee in the Office of the Second Vice President and another to the Office of the Chief Statistician. The first application must be approved before the second can be submitted. However, there is only one research permit fee (since June 2018, the fees have increased: 1-3 days: US$20; 1 week-1 month: US$50; 1-3 months: US$90; 3-6 months: US$120; 6-12 months: US$150). This is paid to the Office of the Chief Statistician upon approval. The process of shuffling these applications among various offices is:

 

1) Find a sponsor

 Both local and foreign researchers must secure a sponsor from a government institution to endorse their application. Currently the Zanzibar Archives will only sponsor research in their facilities. (Update 2019: According to the Archive’s guidelines, and in order to avoid delays, you can contact them through the following email address: dama@zitec.org)

Researchers who want to pursue research outside the archives might consider contacting the State University of Zanzibar. 

 

2) Submit Research Application to the Office of the Second Vice President 

Submit the application (see below) directly to the Office of the Second Vice President by fax, mail, or in person. The building is located on Vuga Rd in Stone Town.

The application requires:

  • 3 copies of the Research Permit application form. (This is supposed to be available at the Archives website (http://www.zanzibarheritage.go.tz), but this website is unavailable as of March 2018). If you email the staff, they can provide a digital copy of the current application.
  • 4 passport photos
  • 1 copy of researcher's CV
  • 3 copies of short research proposal  
  • Permit fee in US Dollars, payable on approval of research permit to the Office of the Chief Statistician (US$75 for up to 3 months, double that for 12 months) 
  • A letter of support from a local government sponsor (if this is not included with the submission the sponsor will be asked to submit it during the approval process) 

The approval process should take 2-3 weeks but may go faster.  

 

3) Submit Research Application to the Office of the Chief Statistician

Bring the approved application from the Office of the Second Vice President to the the Office of the Chief Statistician in Mazizini. It is not in Stone Town. They will provide another "Application for Approval of Conducting Research" to determine if you are collecting statistics and/or need assistance from the government statisticians. The application states that approval may take five business days, but it can be done on the same day if personnel are available and you have paid the fee.

 

4) Pay Application Fee and Receive Permit

Confirm the current account number at Zanzibar People’s Bank for receiving payment of research permit fees with the Office of the Chief Statistician. Payment is best done in person, there is a branch next door to the Office of the Chief Statistician on the bottom floor of the Revenue Office. The Office of the Chief Statistician will give you three copies of the research permit once you show them the receipt. You can then bring a copy to the archives and begin your research.

 

[For Research trips extending beyond 3 months]

5) Return to Office of Second Vice President for Letter of Support for Research Visa

After approval, researchers need to get a research visa. Bring three copies of your approved research permit to the Office of the Second Vice President to get a letter of support to bring to the Office of Immigration. This can usually be accomplished within a few days, and research can proceed while you wait.

 

6) Get Research Visa from Office of Immigration

Bring letter of support to the Commissioner of Immigration at Uhamiaji House (in Kilimani one street north of the archives). 

 

Note that the Research Permit processing fee is Tshs 10,000 (to be paid to the Zanzibar National Archives).

 

Foreign researchers must also pay a membership fee to use the archives:

1-3 days: US$20

1 week-1 month: US$50

1-3 months: US$90

3-6 months: US$120

6-12 months: US$150

 

Opening Hours: 8.30am to 3.00pm, Monday to Friday

 

General working conditions: The search room is comfortable, airy and well lit with one air-conditioner along the windows for the staff. The archivists will assist with pulling indexes from the locked cupboards; they computer database (key word) was not available in March 2018 but has been in the past. There is no internet access, but staff will allow you to plug in a laptop. There is a newspaper collection stored in the search room and photographs can be searched/viewed on the computer. There might be occasional power cuts which do not affect work in the search room. However new files cannot be pulled from the repository till the electrical supply returns. There is a computer room next to the search room, for digitizing documents, but none were working at the time of my visit. There is a microfiche collection, but the viewing equipment was also not working.

 

Consultation: Three files per order, with a limit of 12 documents per day (with some flexibility). Requests may only be made between 8:30am and 12pm; no documents will be produced between 12:30 until 3pm, except for those stored in the reading room itself. 

 

Policy on technology: Laptops are allowed, but come with a fully charged battery in case of a power-out. Digital cameras may be used with prior clearance from the staff; the charge is Tshs 1000 per photo (see below). However, researchers are not permitted to take photographs with mobile phones (Update 2019: there is some flexibility concerning the fact of taking photographs with mobile phones).

 

Photocopy policy: Selective photocopying is permitted. According to the Archive’s guidelines laser copies or pictures cost US$4 each or the equivalent in Tanzanian Shillings. A4 photocopies are Tshs 500 but not done in-house so allow a minimum of 3 working days. Scans of pictures or photographs are US$4 or equivalent. They have all been digitized and researchers may view them on the staff computer in the reading room; the originals are not normally accessible to researchers. A scan for a map is Tshs 2000 or equivalent. A scan for a document is Tshs 500 per page. Digital photographing is allowed, Tsh 1000 per photo, but ask permission first, especially when using sensitive material. 

 

Particularities: I would suggest packing your own lunch because there aren’t any restaurants/cafeterias within (reasonable) walking distance. [Update 2018: there is a small cantina down the hill and across the main road street serving local food, a 5-minute walk]. This is also the best place to catch a daladala heading back into town for Tshs 30. A taxi ride to or from town is Tshs 5000. 

 

How to apply for classified files: Files listed in archive hand lists are generally open to researchers. Access to the Arabic Collection is more restricted. 

 

Contact name in case of questions regarding classified files: Mr. Fouad works in the Search Room.

 

Places to Stay

Flamingo Guest House on Mkunazini Street (near the university campus), US$12/night with breakfast. It is a 15 minute walk to the Archive. [Update: AirBNB has many listings available ranging from $10/night hostel style arrangements to full homes for hundreds a night].  

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