about the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA)

'The purpose of the act is to give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information held by the State and any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights; and to provide for matters connected therewith.' (http://www.sahrc.org.za)

Every public organization had to compile and submit their manuals to the South African Human Rights Commission by the 31 August 2003.

Private organizations which includes companies, closed corporations, trusts and sole proprietors have received an extension to the 31 August 2005. What this means is that every one of the above organizations must create a PAIA manual which is available to any interested parties and must submit this manual either as a posted document or as an email to the South African Human Rights Commission.

The reasons for the promulgation of this act are to:

• Foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public and private bodies by giving effect to the right of access to information.
• Actively promote a society in which the people of South Africa have effective access to information to enable them to more fully exercise and protect all of their rights.

You can read the full act at the following site: http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/legislation/2000/act2.pdf

You can access the South African Human Rights Commission website at http://www.sahrc.org.za

We will make it as easy as possible for you to adhere to the legislation, simply click on the button below and follow instructions in order to be PAIA compliant and avoid any unnecessary bureaucracy and painful paperwork!