the Public Sector: Mandatory Compliance
9 March 2009
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is the constitutional body
charged with promoting, monitoring and educating human rights in democratic
South Africa. 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 PAIA.
The public sector is constitutionally obliged to provide cheap and
expeditious services to the South African public. One of the major ways in
securing efficient and quality delivery is through the proper implementation
and compliance with the provisions of PAIA.
PAIA entrenches values critical to a progressive constitutional democracy.
To achieve these values, the public sector must ensure that implementation and
compliance in terms of PAIA is accelerated.
The realisation of these initiatives will result in:
* quicker, better service delivery
* a more transparent and accountable government
* efficient records management
* advanced and informed public participation for a better South Africa.
Public and certain private bodies must submit reports on all requests
submitted to them. These reports must be sent to the SAHRC annually.
Information officials are hereby notified to submit their section 32 reports
to the commission's PAIA unit by no later than 30 April 2009.
The report must include the following statistics for the year 2008/09:
* the number of requests for access received
* the number of requests granted in full
* the number of requests granted in terms of section 46
* request statistics in terms of section 32 (d)
* request statistics in terms of section 32 (e)
* request statistics in terms of section 32 (f)
* request statistics in terms of section 32 (g)
* request statistics in terms of section 32 (h)
* other information â please include your recommendations/observations in this
category.
To facilitate the processing of requests, public entities are also reminded
of their obligations to develop and update manuals road mapping, categories of
information automatically available to the public.
The commission also takes this opportunity to advise public entities to
secure PAIA training for its personnel, free of charge through all its
offices.
Deputy Information Officers who comply with reporting obligations, actively
promote, educate and advance the objectives of PAIA can win the annual Golden
Key Award for meritorious achievement from the SAHRC and the Open Democracy
Advice Centre (ODAC). Nominations will be open in June 2009.
Visit the SAHRC website (http://www.sahrc.org.za) for PAIA information and
updates.
To request training, contact the SAHRC PAIA Programme on:
Tel: 011 484 8300
Fax: 011 643 6472
Issued by: South African Human Rights Commission
9 March 2009
Source: South African Human Rights Commission (http://www.sahrc.org.za)
