Quick Guide to Using PAIA

The document provides a practical walkthrough of using the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) to access records from state and private entities. It details the role of PAIA Manuals, the request process using Form 02, timelines for responses, and the mechanisms for appeals and complaints via the Information Regulator. It also highlights that certain environmental and water-related records from specific government departments may be automatically available without a formal request.

• All state departments and private companies are legally required to publish a PAIA Manual, which identifies the 'information officer' and provides contact details for submitting information requests.
• Requests for information must be made using a single standardized form (Form 02) for both public and private bodies, and typically require a request fee and proof of identification.
• Bodies are legally required to respond to requests within 30 days, with a possible single extension of another 30 days; a failure to respond is considered a 'deemed refusal' and can be appealed.
• The Information Regulator, established as of 31 June 2021, oversees PAIA objectives to ensure records from public and private bodies are obtained as swiftly and inexpensively as possible.
• Certain environmental and water records are automatically available to the public without a PAIA request, including environmental authorisations and waste management licences from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), and water use licences from the Department of Water and Sanitation.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). Quick Guide to Using PAIA. https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Quick Guide to Using PAIA. 2017. https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Quick Guide to Using PAIA |date=17 March 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017quick, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Quick Guide to Using PAIA}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://cer.org.za/programmes/transparency/quick-guide-using-paia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }