A runaway veld fire in Cape Town has left devastating destruction in its wake, including the obliteration of intellectual property containing records of African Studies that “can never be replaced”.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) African Studies Library and several other buildings were destroyed in Cape Town on Sunday. Thousands of students have since been evacuated from the UCT campus as firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
“The African Studies section of UCT’s Main Library is on fire. Some of the oldest and rarest books about Africa were stored here.
This is a very sad day for this country, for Africa and the world.” pic.twitter.com/9Tneqw4HKw Tshepo biko Lethea (@TshepoLethea) April 18, 2021
Photos: Cape Town fire s tragic wake of destruction captured
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Significant archives are under threat in Cape Town s fire Here s why they matter so much
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Many of the most precious records housed at the building may have been protected at lower levels by the library’s fire doors, but huge collections of literature and records may have been destroyed.
Named for the bequest of John William Jagger, an England-born tycoon and politician, who once served as Minister of Railways and Harbour in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jan Smuts, the Jagger library and reading room is home to a number of prominent archival collections. This includes parts of the 65 000-volume-strong African Studies collection and the African Film collection. The library may include parts of UCT’s government publications archive, and the School Textbook Collection.