Freedom of Information Act, 2020 (ii) Zimbabwe ensure that appropriate assistance is afforded to members of the public seeking to exercise their right of access to information in order to facilitate the exercise of the right. Part II – Access to information 4. Duty to create, keep, organise and maintain information Every responsible person or holder of a statutory office shall cause to be created, kept, organised and maintained information— 5. (a) in the interests of public accountability; or (b) in the exercise or protection of a right. Duty to disclose information Subject to this Act, every public entity, public commercial entity or holder of a statutory office shall have a written information disclosure policy through which it discloses information in the interests of public accountability or that is required for the exercise or protection of a right. 6. Act not to apply to certain public entities and persons This Act does not apply to information relating to— (a) deliberations or functions of the Cabinet and its committees; (b) information protected from disclosure in victim friendly courts. Part III – Request for access to information 7. 8. Requests for access to information (1) Any person who wishes to request access to information from any public entity, public commercial entity or the holder of a statutory office in accordance with the rights granted under this Act may apply in writing in a prescribed manner to an information officer of the public entity, public commercial entity or holder of a statutory office concerned. (2) On receipt of a request, an information officer must immediately provide a written acknowledgement of the request to the applicant. (3) If an information officer is able to provide an immediate response to an applicant that is to the satisfaction of the applicant, the information officer shall make the response. Response to request (1) Subject to subsection (2), an information officer to whom a request is made shall, as soon as is reasonably possible, but in any event within twenty-one days of the date of the request— (a) determine whether to grant the request; and (b) notify the applicant of the decision whether to grant the request, in writing; and (c) subject to subsection (7), if the request is granted, give the applicant access to the information. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 4