SIGNS OF HOPE?

The report 'SIGNS OF HOPE?' by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) evaluates the implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) regarding environmental records in South Africa from January 2010 to September 2015. It identifies a slow trend toward greater reactive disclosure by authorities and private companies, though proactive disclosure remains poor.

• The rate of actual release of requested environmental records by government departments showed a general increase from 24% in 2012 to an average of around 50% in recent years, including 51.9% in 2015.
• The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is a poor implementer of PAIA, with a disappointing 12.5% actual release rate of requested documents in 2015 and a rise in 'deemed refusals' where the department fails to respond.
• Government departments frequently refuse access to information by claiming it is 'confidential' or 'commercially sensitive' under section 36 of PAIA, often without independently verifying if disclosure would actually harm third-party interests.
• The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) maintains a strong record of PAIA implementation, with no deemed refusals in the 2014–2015 period and an expressed intention to make environmental licences available online.
• The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) showed significant improvement in 2015 due to increased capacity in its Legal Services Directorate, though it continues to incorrectly require third-party notification for water use licences.
• Private bodies generally demonstrate better capacity and understanding of PAIA than government departments, with the percentage of records released increasing from 20% in 2010–2011 to 66.7% in 2015.
• The Supreme Court of Appeal ordered ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to release environmental records, including an 'environmental master plan', to the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance, emphasizing that there is 'no room for secrecy' regarding the environment.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2015). SIGNS OF HOPE? https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Signs-of-Hope-Nov-2015.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. SIGNS OF HOPE? 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Signs-of-Hope-Nov-2015.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=SIGNS OF HOPE? |date=November 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Signs-of-Hope-Nov-2015.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2015signs, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{SIGNS OF HOPE?}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Signs-of-Hope-Nov-2015.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }