Mckinley research report written for the centre for the study of violence and reconciliation, july 2003. Promotion of access to information act, 2000 acts online. Promotion of access to information act the promotion of access to information act 5 paia was enacted in response to the constitutional mandate, and came into force in large part in march 2001. Access cape town office center for high performance computing 15 lower hope rd rosebank, cape town south africa 7700. Here is what you need to know about your right to know an extract from a practical guide to media law by dario milo and pamela stein. African online scientific information systems open access south africa. Open access to scholarly communication in south africa occurs online via journals, repositories, and a variety of other tools and platforms. The legal protection of privacy in south africa electronic journal of. Saha south african history archive access to information. Request for access to record of public body section 181 of the promotion of access to information act, 2000 act no. Access to information act officers or employees of the atomic energy control board designation order sor86360 access to information regulations sor83507 designating the minister of justice and the president of the treasury board as ministers for purposes of certain sections of the act si83108. Act paia pdf 899 kb was passed by the south african parliament in 2000.
Or a certified copy of the business entitys registration documents, if the applicant is a corporate entity or a trust. Access to information act roggkenya reporting on good. Using this legislation, context is examined from the perspective that power is access to information, which focuses on tensions in the struggle for access. It applies specifically to south africa, but is part of the global drive towards freedom of information. In this act, unless the context otherwise indicatesaccess fee means a fee prescribed for the purposes of section 22 6 or 54 6, as the case may be. The aim of this act is to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public and private bodies by giving effect to the right of access to information, and actively. And in order to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public and private bodies by giving effect to the right of access to information. Implementation of the promotion of access to information act.
Once youve met certain requirements, youll be granted access to the information you require. Access to information government communication and information. Pdf south africas promotion of access to information act. Manual prepared in terms of section 51 of the promotion of access to information act no. Act means the promotion of access to information act, act 2 of 2000, as amended from time to time. Legal aid sa supports the constitutional right of access to information and. Public library and information services to be open to public chapter 3 intergovernmental arrangements for public library and information services 7. On 24 july 2007, the south gauteng high court johannesburg granted an. Definitions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them hereunder, namely 2. The south african human rights commission sahrc is the constitutional body charged with promoting, monitoring and educating human rights in democratic south africa. It gives the constitutional right of access to any information held by the state and any information held by private bodies that is required for the exercise and protection of any rights the act is enforced by the south african human rights commission sahrc.
Promotion of access to information act, 2000 south africa. Introduction the promotion of access to information act no. Access to information government communication and. Promotion of access to information act of south africa. Promotion of access to information act south african. One of the main requirements specified in the act, is the compilation of an information.
Developments in access to information litigation and enforcement in south africa jonathan 1klaaren 30 march 2010 now is a time of considerable ferment in implementing and enforcing the right of access to information in south africa. It has a capacity of 45,500 but for the purposes of the 2010 fifa world cup the seating capa. Constitution means the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996 act 1088 of 1996. One of the main requirements specified in the act, is the compilation of an information manual that provides information on both the types and categories. According to unesco, south africa is a leading african country in terms of open access policies on the governmental level and grassroots initiatives in.
The promotion of access to information act paia, 2 of 2000 gives you the right to access information that you might require for the exercise or protection of any rights. It is also mandated in terms of the promotion of access to information act 2000 paia to perform specific responsibilities as the lead monitoring agency on the implementation of. This in turn affords and ensures access to justice which is a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy. The state of access to information in south africa csvr. The promotion of access to information act 2 of 2000 paia is legislation in the republic of south africa allowing access to any information held by the state, and any information held by private bodies that is required for the exercise and protection of any rights. The full pdf version of this book as well as additional background material and laws on freedom of information can be downloaded at. Access to information act 2 of 2000 paia, against the appellant, the industrial development corporation of south africa ltd idc in the high court johannesburg for an order that the idc furnish certain documents and records to them.
The act is administered by the south african human rights commission and theres more information on paia here. Developments in access to information litigation and. Constitution means the constitution of the republic of. This guide is a shortened extract from a practical guide to media law by dario milo and pamela. South africas constitution gives every person the right of access to information, held by a public or private body, that is required for the exercise or protection of any right. The promotion of access to information act, 2000 or paia. Promotion of access to information manual brait south africa limited including all subsidiaries page 3 of 20 1. Its preamble acknowledges the secretive and unresponsive culture of the predemocratic era, and asserts that one object of paia is to foster a. Compared to other african nations, open access in south africa has grown quickly in recent years. The south african constitution stipulates that the public and media has the right of access to information. These and other difficulties become apparent in a case study of south africas promotion of access to information act paia, of 2000. Certain information has also been taken from environmental laws of south africa by p. South african astronomical observatory saao is the national center for optical and infrared astronomy in south africa. The purpose of the promotion of access to information act is to ensure that people can exercise their constitutional right of access to any information that is required for the exercise or protection of any right and is held by the state.
Access to information in south africa the judicial role in. Guide on how to use the promotion of access to information. All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by free exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands. Constitution means the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996 act 108 of 1996. To support this right of access to information, the promotion of access to information act paia pdf 899 kb was passed by the south african parliament in 2000. With acts you are guaranteed the latest and most up to date resource for your legislative needs. The promotion of access to information act 2 of 2000 paia provides the framework and procedures for the exercise of the constitutional right to information. It applies specifically to south africa, but is part of the global drive. South africa, officially the republic of south africa rsa, is the southernmost country in africa. Be it therefore enacted by the parliament of the republic of south africa, as follows. We are the leading resource for freely available legislation in south africa and are used daily by thousands of professionals and industry leaders.
Promotion of access to information act south african government. Part ii portrays the placement of access to national security information within south africas legislative framework, taking into account the key laws underpinning both secrecy and disclosure. Aug 29, 2014 the south african constitution stipulates that the public and media has the right of access to information. Information services to the public government communication. Promotion of access to information act department of justice. Promotion of access to information act, 2000 wikipedia. The promotion of access to information act of 2000 gives effect to this right. The jamaica access to information act is unique in providing for an automatic. The constitution says that everyone has the right to a safe and healthy environment. The south african human rights commission sahrc plays a key role in the implementation of paia.
What this means in practice is that as a member of sgi south africa, you are entitled at any time to request information. The promotion of access to information act, 2000 act no. Exploring the role of civil society in the formulation. In this act, unless the context otherwise indicates access fee means a fee prescribed for the purposes of section 22 6 or 54 6, as the case may be. Contents introduction the legislative context the promotion of access to information act paia. Bridgestone south africa pty ltd formerly bridgestonefirestone south africa pty ltd. The goal is to provide every south african citizen with easy access to information and services near their place of residence. Contents of act section part 1 introductory provisions chapter 1 definitions and interpretation protection of personal information act 4 of 20 proclaimed see pendlex s. All citizens of south africa have a right to access information which affects their. The motivation for giving effect to the right of access to information is to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in both public and private bodies, and to promote a society in which the people of south africa have effective access to information to enable them to fully exercise and protect all their rights. The promotion of access to information act 2 of 2000 paia is the national legislation contemplated in section 322 of the constitution. The provision of the act the promotion of access to information act no 2. In 1996, the constitution of the republic of south africa 1996 came into force. Access to information act arrangement of sections part i preliminary section 1.
The kenyan access to information act of 2016 pdf was enacted on september 21st, 2016 this is the act as downloaded from on sep 30, 2016. Is south africas constitutional right of access to information working in practice. Right to research coalition, 2014 open access in higher education in south africa. The motivation for giving effect to the right of access to information is to foster a culture of transparency. Section 10 of paia provides that the south african human rights commission must compile simple and easily comprehensible guidelines on how to use the promotion of access to information act. The national archives of south africa act of 1996 nasa. Access to information south africa law makes provision for a public right of access to information held by all organisations,a public and private, and this is our sgisa paia manual. Access to knowledge in south africa by andrew rens the doors of learning and culture shall be opened. On 9 march 2001, the promotion of access to information act, no. Promotion of access to information act paia department. Pdf south africa is one of the few countries in the world that has. Public library and information services principles 5. Regulation of spam in south africa was introduced by the electronic communications and transactions act, 2002 ecta and bolstered by the consumer protection act, 2008 cpa and the recently promulgated protection of personal information act, 20 popia.
It has a capacity of 45,500 but for the purposes of the 2010 fifa world cup the seating capa show coordinates. The observatory is run by the national research foundation of south africa. This article attempts a comparative analysis of the previous and present statutes governing access. Promotion of access to information act paia department of. The state of access to information in south africa by dr. Access by the public to archives and public records in south africa has been significantly affected by the introduction of the national archives of south africa act no. Acts online provides legislation, including amendments and regulations, in an intuitive, online format.
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