The Promotion of Access to Information Act[1] (PAIA) was enacted to realize the section 32 Constitutional right to access to information. In terms of the Constitution, everyone has a right to information held by the state or private body which is required for the protection or exercise of their Constitutional right.
PAIA enables Corruption Watch to investigate reports of corruption within the country and to hold both public and private bodies accountable for their actions or lack thereof. PAIA makes provision for everyone to be able to access whatever information they need to exercise or protect their constitutional rights. The Government cannot withhold information that is required for one to exercise or protect their Constitutional rights, neither can private bodies. When one requests information from a private body then one has to state which constitutional right they are protecting or exercising. However when seeking information from the Government, they need not go into any detail about what right they are protecting. Some government bodies are more cooperative than others when it comes to responding to PAIA requests. This does not stop us from requesting the information through provisions in PAIA, and we will push until we get what we are looking for. Our PAIA register will enable you to see the performance of some of the public bodies we have requested information from.
[1] Act 2 of 2000
Corruption Watch PAIA requests
| INSTITUTION REQUEST SUBMITTED TO | DATE OF REQUEST | DESCRIPTION | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. South African Social Security Agency | 18 September 2014 | Documents in respect of various procurement contracts | No response- DEEMED REFUSED |
| 2. National Department of Social Development | 18 September 2014 | Documents in respect of payments made to SASSA | Acknowledged receipt and requested extension. No further response. DEEMED REFUSED |
| 3. City of Tshwane Metropolitan University | 2 October 2014 and 9 December 2014 | Documentation in respect of newly appointed employee in nepotism investigation | Acknowledged receipt, no response, appeal lodged- DEEMED REFUSAL |
| 4. Department of Mineral Resources | 5 November 2014 | Mineral and mining lease agreements | Acknowledged receipt, no response, appeal lodged- DEEMED REFUSAL |
| 5. Department of Rural Development and Land Reform | 5 November 2014 | Mineral and mining lease agreements | INFORMATION RECEIVED |
| 6. National Lotteries Board | 6 November 2014 | Documentation in respect of funding to NGO’s | Request and Appeal REFUSED |
| 7. National Department of Health | 20 November 2014 | Documentation in respect of tender contract with National Health Laboratory Services | No acknowledgment and no response- DEEMED REFUSAL |
| 8. Gauteng Department of Education | 3 March 2015 | Forensic Audit Report into Glenvista High School | Request for extension- PENDING |
| 9. Victor Khanye Local Municipality | 1 July 2015 | Audit Report | PENDING |
| 10. Legal Aid SA | 2 July 2015 | Procurement Contracts | PENDING |
| 11. Jozini Local Municipality | 6 July 2015 | Audit Report | INFORMATION RECEIVED |
| 12. Gauteng Department Of Education | 7 July 2015 | Audit Report into Lyttleton Primary School | PENDING |