The Information Regulator in partnership with the City of Johannesburg will host the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) community engagement session, on 28 September 2022 at the Orlando East Communal Hall, Soweto. In line with the international theme, the Regulator will host the engagement under the theme, “PAIA as an instrumental tool to promote good governance and a catalyst to respond to public protests”. The engagement is in response to the prescripts of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the human right entrenched in section 32 of the Constitution.

The universal right to access information is essential for societies to function democratically and for the wellbeing of everyone. When communities have lack of information or access to information, they are denied the ability to exercise other rights which results in retaliation and subsequently communities embarking on service delivery protests.

As such the Regulator in terms of its legislative mandate seeks to focus IDUAI 2022 on educating the public on how to exercise their right of access to information and promote the Regulator’s role in assisting the public to exercise this right by lodging complaints should they be denied access to information.

The IDUAI 2022 programme will take the approach of a public engagement in the community that is relatively prone to service delivery protests. The Regulator with other public institutions and Regulatory bodies will engage with the public to educate them about their right of access to information held by both public and private bodies. There will also be information stands where various public institutions will exhibit their services and information as part of promoting access to information.

Source: Government of South Africa