In Jill Geber's words:

I was born in Johannesburg in 1961, studied history and theology at Natal University, Pietermaritzburg 1980-82. After graduating, I attempted to study independently for the South African Diploma in Archival Science, from 1983-85.

When I completed the theory courses of the diploma in 1985, I was working in Transkei. I needed to work in an accredited Archives Depot to complete the practical part of the course. As the Transkei Archives Depot was set up by the SA Archives Service and its archivists trained by the SA Archives Service, I asked whether I could complete my training there, but was turned down.

At the same time, I became increasingly opposed to the apartheid regime in the charged climate of the States of Emergency of 1985-1986. As someone deeply interested in archives and the evidential value of their political and historical content, I began to wonder what might happen to such archives in South Africa.

A significant proportion of the archives and current records contained a mass of unique documentary evidence, including the exact details of decades of the oppressive policies of the apartheid regime.

If the regime were overthrown by a revolution as seemed a real possibility then, I was convinced that (if the track-record of similar oppressive regimes was anything to go by) the regime would try to destroy as much evidence as possible before its fall.

I decided to study for the MA in Overseas Archive Studies at University College London, to get an independent training and investigate the subject of the future of the South African Archives from outside of South Africa.

In London I was able consult the views of ANC officials and supporters and formulate some observations, propose some scenarios and strategies on how archivists might to deal with the situation and hopefully prevent archival disaster. These ideas were developed further as I completed the course in 1986-87 and my MA thesis was entirely devoted to an exploration of the SA Archives Service, it's past, present and future.