@Lebohang Mokoena I really appreciate and resonate with what you said🙌. I’ve been thinking about the ‘just-in-case’ approach, it can be quite counterproductive, often leading to indecisive actions driven by emotions, especially since people can become personally attached to records. I’m wondering if we have any policies or legal measures for organisations/departments/individuals who retain records beyond their prescribed retention periods. @Paul Mullon and @Lebohang Mokoena do we currently have any mechanisms in our industry that address this?

@Paul Mullon Indeed, that is unfortunate. Thank you, I always appreciate your insight. 🙌🙌🙌

@Paul Mullon What makes disposal feel risky in your organisation? For me, disposal starts to feel risky when it becomes reactive rather than intentional. Especially when a department suddenly rushes to dispose of records because an inspection or audit is coming up. That kind of pressure-driven clean-up doesn’t feel strategic, it feels exposed. As Paul mentioned, the small but powerful habit of continuously asking, “Is this information still needed, and for what purpose?” should be part of our everyday records culture, not something we remember only when auditors are at the door. So to me when it’s rushed, it feels uncertain, and that uncertainty is what makes disposal feel risky.

@Paul Mullon at this point, I don’t think there is any, not because my records are in perfect order and don’t need defending, but perhaps it’s there and I’m just overlooking it, and it might surface at a very critical and not ideal time🤧. @Paul Mullon I’m curious, from your perspective, which records decision do you think would be hardest to defend today?

@Douglas Maina Hmmmmmmmm interesting🤔, I also had a friend who experienced this at one of our universities. They’ve unfortunately lost a significant number of student records from their earlier years because the systems they used became obsolete, and effortless migration wasn’t one of the criteria when the system was chosen.

@Paul Mullon Just a curious question: what exactly is a legacy system, and under what circumstances is a system considered a legacy system?

@Douglas Maina yes, and refresher training needs be done on a basis applicable to the organisation.🙌

@Hlabelani Baloyi you are right😇, and this is actually where awareness of Records Management becomes essential. Even small organisations need to understand that their objectives and overall existence can be strengthened and sustained through proper records and information management, and it will cost them more in the long run if they don't allocate resources at the early stages.