A VISION FOR MUSEUMS IN SOUTH AFRICA: A REVIEW OF POLICY PROPOSALS

Taking the Arts and Culture Task Group (ACTAG 1995) report as a point of departure, this paper reviews the transformation of museums by comparing the proposals and progress towards the implementation of museum-related policies. Few of the ACTAG recommendations have been implemented and even then, not very successfully. Recent policy initiatives such as the draft Policy Framework for National Museums are grappling with the same problems as ACTAG in 1995. At the same time, museum professionals also have to deal with a perceived hostile environment and governmental structures that do not take sufficient cognisance of museum specific professional issues. This paper aims to articulate a vision and way forward for museums by reviewing governmental as well as interest group-based policy proposals.