Table of contents Foreword by the Chief Executive Officer........................................................................................... 6 Finding your way around the PAIA Guide ......................................................................................... 7 Useful terms ..................................................................................................................................... 8 List of abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 10 SECTION 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1. The purpose of this PAIA Guide ....................................................................................... 12 1.2. The history of PAIA .......................................................................................................... 13 1.3. The purpose of PAIA and how it can be used .................................................................. 14 1.4. The role of the South African Human Rights Commission ............................................... 15 SECTION 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 16 2.1 Getting started ................................................................................................................ 17 2.2. The PAIA Guide................................................................................................................ 18 2.2.1 2.3 Where to find the guide ............................................................................................ 18 PAIA Manuals .................................................................................................................. 20 2.3.1 PAIA manuals for public bodies.................................................................................. 20 2.3.2 Where to find the manual of a public body ............................................................. 21 2.3.4 PAIA manuals for private bodies .............................................................................. 22 2.3.4 Where to find the manual of a private body ............................................................ 24 2.3.5 How to comply if you are a private body ................................................................. 24 2.4 Automatically available information held by a public body ............................................ 25 2.5 Automatically available information held by a private company or body ...................... 27 SECTION 3 ............................................................................................................................... 28 3. How do I make a PAIA request? .......................................................................................... 29 3.1 Who can make a PAIA request?....................................................................................... 29 3.1.1 How do I fill in a PAIA request form? ....................................................................... 30 3.1.2 Is there a procedure that has to be followed when making a PAIA request? ........... 32 3.2 What is the cost for making a PAIA request? ................................................................... 32 3.2.1 What is the cost for accessing records under PAIA?................................................. 33 South African Human Rights Commission 4