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The roadshow will be from 08:30 to 14:00.

The purpose of the roadshow is to raise awareness of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000, to inform members of the public of their rights in terms of the Act, and that they can apply to the City for access to information.

PAIA gives effect to Section 32 of the Constitution which confirms the public’s right of access to information held by the State, with the exception of records held by the Cabinet, Courts and by Members of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures. Information in the City’s possession is subject to PAIA.

‘This initiative epitomises the City’s openness to engaging with its customers about pertinent matters. I encourage members of the public to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their constitutional right of access to information,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle.

The Act provides voluntary and mandatory mechanisms or procedures to enable people to obtain information swiftly, inexpensively, and effortlessly.

The City’s Access to Information Unit has a dedicated walk-in public office, namely the Access to City Records Office in the Cape Town Civic Centre where the unit assists the public with the PAIA process. This includes guidance on completing and submitting PAIA forms, liaising with the relevant City line departments for the provision of records, as well as decisions on outcomes of PAIA applications.

An online service to submit requests, and for more information, is also available on the City’s website at /city-connect/access-information/request-access-to-information

Examples of the information that can be requested include documents, tapes, video recordings, computer files, notes or emails.

PAIA applies to records of public and private bodies, regardless of when they came into existence. A record means any recorded information which is in possession or under the control of the public body, whether or not it was created by that public body. PAIA also applies to records held by independent contractors contracted by the State.

In terms of PAIA, an applicant must be given access to records of a public body provided that the applicant complies with all of the procedural requirements, and provided that access is not refused in terms of any of the grounds of refusal contained in Chapter 4 of the Act.

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