Section 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) provides for the right to access to information and requires the enactment on national legislation to give effect to this right, and to provide reasonable measures to alleviate the administrative and financial burden on the State. The envisaged national legislation was passed in January 2000, which is the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA).

The SAHRC has a constitutional mandate to promote, protect and monitor human rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The SAHRC is expected to promote the Act, report on the functions of the Act and assist public (and to a certain extent private bodies) in the implementation of the Act. PAIA aims to promote transparency, accountability and effective governance of all public and private bodies, by establishing systems and procedures that enable members of public and other interested groups to request and be furnished with information held by the State or any private body they may need to exercise or protect their rights.

The Act obliges all public and private bodies to compile and keep manuals detailing all categories of information held by them and must explain how to access such information. Copies of the manuals must be submitted to the SAHRC for the latter to develop a guide of consolidated information held by public and private bodies. To assist public bodies to implement the Act, the SAHRC in collaboration with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, which is responsible for the administration of the Act, has scheduled a series of briefing sessions that will take place in all provinces. The tentative dates of the briefing sessions are as follows:

• Gauteng 30 April
• Free State 10 May
• Limpopo 14 May
• Eastern Cape 15 May
• KwaZuluNatal 16 May
• Western Cape 17 May

Dates for Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West will be confirmed in due course.

The briefing sessions are intended for Information and Deputy Information Officers. Separate briefing sessions for private bodies will take place later this month. Dates will be announced in due course.

For Further Information Contact Mr Mothusi Lepheana 011 4848300

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Johannesburg, Monday 29 April 2002

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