PAIA
Promotion of Access to Information Act


Contents

 

Roles, terms and definitions related to the Act
[Chapter 1 Definitions and Interpretations]

1.       Introduction.

2.       Human Rights Commission Guide on how to use the Act [Section 14(1)(c)]

3.       National Department of Human Settlements Manual

4.       Information Officer, Deputy Information Officers [Section 14(1)(b)]

5.       Structure and functions of the National Department of Human Settlements [Section 14(1)(f)]

5.2          Functions of the National Department of Human Settlements.

5.2.1       The vision and mission of the National Department of Human Settlements.

5.2.2       The roles and functions of the National Department of Human Settlements.

5.3          National Department of Human Settlements services available to members of the public [Section 14(1)(f)]

5.3.1       Nature of services.

5.3.2       How to gain access to services.

5.4          Arrangements/provisions allowing for a person to be involved in the formulation of policy and/or the exercise of powers of the National Department of Human Settlements [Section 14(1)(g)]

6.       National Department of Human Settlements Records [Section 14(1)(d-e)]

6.1.1       Automatic disclosure of records [Section 14(1)(e)] [Section15(2)]

6.1.2       Categories of records available for inspection in terms of other legislation

6.1.3       Categories of records available that may be requested via PAIA [Section 14 (1)(d)]

7.       Request procedures.

7.1          Steps to be taken by the Requester

7.2          Prescribed Fees (Public Bodies)

7.3          Grounds for refusal of access to a record(s) [Chapter 4 of the Act]

8.       Remedies available against decisions of the Information Officer [Section 14(1)(h)]

8.1.1       Internal Appeals and Applications to Court [Sections 74-82]

8.1.2       Internal Appeal Procedures [Section 74-77]

8.1.3       Application to Court Procedures [Section 78-82]

8.1.4       Complaints to the Public Protector [Section 91]

9.       Other information as prescribed in terms of the Act

9.1          Updating of the Manual [Section 14(2)]

9.2          Availability and Language of the Manual [Section 14(1) and (3)]

9.2.1       Language

9.2.2       Availability

9.3          Request to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development for the compilation of one Manual [Section 14(4)]

9.4          Exemption by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development  [Section 14(5)]

10.     References and Acknowledgements

Annex A :        National Department of Human Settlements (Public Body) PAIA Request Form for Access to a Record(s)

Annex B :        National Department of Human Settlements: PAIA Notice of Internal Appeal form

 


 

Roles, terms and definitions related to the Act [Chapter 1 Definitions and Interpretations]

Roles & Terms

Definition/Description

Information Officer

In the case of the National Department of Settlements it is the Director General.

The Information Officer of the National Department of Human Settlements may delegate a power or duty conferred or imposed on that Information Officer by this Act to a deputy Information Officer of this department.

Any delegation:

·               must be in writing;

·               does not prohibit the person who made the delegation from exercising the power concerned or performing the duty concerned himself or herself; and

·               may at any time be withdrawn or amended in writing by that person.

Deputy Information Officer(s)

The Director General of Human Settlements must designate such number of persons as Deputy Information Officers as necessary to render the National Department of Human Settlements as accessible as reasonably possible for requesters of its records.

 

The Information Officer of the National Department of Human Settlements has direction and control over every deputy information officer of this department.

Personal Requester

A requester seeking access to a record containing personal information about the requester.

 

'Personal information' means information about an identifiable individual, including, but not limited to:

·               information relating to the race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, national, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental health, well-being, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth of the individual;

·               information relating to the education or the medical, criminal or employment history of the individual, or information relating to financial transactions in which the individual has been involved;

·               any identifying number, symbol or other particular assigned to the individual;

·               the address, fingerprints or blood type of the individual;

·               the personal opinions, views or preferences of the individual, except where they are about another individual or about a proposal for a grant, an award or a prize to be made to another individual;

·               correspondence sent by the individual that is implicitly or explicitly of a private or confidential nature, or further correspondence that would reveal the contents of the original correspondence;

·               the views or opinions of another individual about the individual;

·               the views or opinions of another individual about a proposal for a grant, an award or a prize to be made to the individual, but excluding the name of the other individual where it appears with the views or opinions of the other individual; and

·              the name of the individual where it appears with other personal information relating to the individual, or where the disclosure of the name itself would reveal information about the individual, but excluding information about an individual who has been dead for more than 20 years.

Requester

·                Any person making a request for access to a record of the National Department of Human Settlements; or

·                only those public bodies that are exercising a public power or performing a public function in terms of legislation.

Third Party

In relation to a request for access to a record of the National Department of Human Settlements, a third party means:

·               any person (including, but not limited to, the government of a foreign state, an international organisation or an organ of that government or organisation) other than:

o              the requester concerned; and

o              the National Department of Human Settlements;

but for the purposes of sections 34 of the Act, the reference to 'person' in paragraphs (a) and (b) must be construed as a reference to a 'natural person'.

Relevant Authority

In relation to The National Department of Human Settlements, the Relevant Authority means the Minister responsible for the National Department of Human Settlements or the person designated in writing by that Minister.

Human Rights Commission

Means the South African Human Rights Commission referred to in section 181 (1) (b) of the Constitution.

Record

In relation to the National Department of Human Settlements, a record means any recorded information:

·               regardless of form or medium;

·               in the possession or under the control of that public body; and

·               whether or not it was created by that public body.

Days

"When any particular number of days is prescribed for the doing of any act, or for any other purpose, the same shall be reckoned exclusively of the first and inclusively of the last day, unless the last day happens to fall on a Sunday or on any public holiday, in which case the time shall be reckoned exclusively of the first day and exclusively also of every Sunday or public holiday"

Interpretation Act, (Act No 33 of 1957. Section 4 "Reckoning of number of days"

Working Days

Means any days other than Saturdays, Sundays or public Holidays, as defined in section 1 of the Public Holidays Act, 1994 (Act No 36 of 1994)

1.                Introduction

 

The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), Act 2 of 2000 (hereafter also called the Act) came into effect on 9 March 2001, underlining the importance of access to information for an open, democratic, transparent society. The Act gives legislative form to section 32 of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution and should be interpreted as legislation giving effect to a constitutional right. This right states:

 

            Access to information

            32 (1)    Everyone has the right of access to:

(a)                 any information held by the state; and

(b)                any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise of any rights.

(2)  National legislation must be enacted to give effect to this right, and may provide for reasonable measures to alleviate the administrative and financial burden on the state.

 

The objectives of PAIA are thus:

·               to give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information as stated above;

·               to set out justifiable limitations on the right of access to information aimed at protecting people's privacy, confidential commercial information and ensuring effective, efficient and good governance;

·               to balance the right of access to information with all the other rights in the constitution;

·               to promote a culture of human rights and social justice;

·               to establish mechanisms and procedures to enable persons to obtain access to records as swiftly, inexpensively and effortlessly as is reasonably possible;

·               to promote transparency, accountability and effective governance;

·               to empower and educate everyone to:

o              understand their rights in terms of the Act;

o              understand the functions and operation of public bodies; and

o              effectively scrutinise and participate in decision-making by public bodies that affects their rights.

 

This act overrides any other Acts or Regulations restricting access to records, except in the following cases (Section 5, 6, 12):

·               Act 107 of 1998, National Environmental Management Act, 1998, [Section 31(1) and 31(2)];

·              All records of the Cabinet and its committees, judicial functions of a court, special tribunal, or judicial officer or an individual member of Parliament or Provincial Legislature.

2.                Human Rights Commission Guide on how to use the Act [Section 14(1)(c)]

 

NOTE: The manual does not replace the Act and must be read in conjunction with the Act and Regulations.

 

It is the responsibility of the South African Human Rights Commission to compile a guide, in an easily comprehensible form and manner, as may be required by a person who wishes to exercise any right contemplated in the Act.

 

This guide will be made available in all the official languages and be available from the South African Human Rights Commission by not later than August 2003.

 

Any enquiries regarding this guide should be directed to:

 

The South African Human Rights Commission

Telephone Nr:

+27 11 484 8300

Fax Nr:

+27 11 484 1360

E-Mail Address:

PAIA@sahrc.org.za

Postal Address:

PAIA Unit: The Research and Documentation Department
Private Bag 2700
Houghton
2041

Street Address:

PAIA Unit: The Research and Documentation Department
Boundary Road, Isle of Houghton,
Wilds View, Entrance 1
Houghton
JOHANNESBURG

Website:

www.sahrc.org.za

3.                National Department of Human Settlements Manual

 

The purpose of this manual is to inform a person how to obtain access to records held by the National Department of Human Settlements, giving effect to Section 14 of the Act.

 

NOTE: This manual represents only the National Department of Human Settlements and does not include information and or records of the various Provincial Departments.

4.                Information Officer, Deputy Information Officers [Section 14(1)(b)]

 

In terms of the Act the Director General of the National Department of Human Settlements is the Information Officer and she delegated her power and duties by designating the following personnel to act as the Information Officer and Deputy Information Officers respectively:

 

Deputy Information Officers

Ms Susan Oelofse

Legal Representative

 All PAIA issues will be dealt with by the PAIA Centre.

 

PAIA Centre Contact Detail

Telephone:

+27 12 421 1721

Cell:

+27 83 453 6748

Fax:

+27 86 551 5787

E-Mail address:

susan.neethling@dhs.gov.za

Postal Address:

 

The Deputy Information Officer: PAIA Centre
National Department of Human Settlements
Private Bag x644
PRETORIA

Republic of South Africa
0001

Street Address:

 

The Deputy Information Officer: PAIA Centre
Govan Mbeki House
240 Walker Street
PRETORIA

Office Hours:

07:30 - 09:30

09:45 - 12:15

13:00 - 14:30

14:45 - 16:00

Cashier Hours:

10:00 - 11:00

14:00 - 14:30

Website:

http://www.dhs.gov.za

  

5.                Structure and functions of the National Department of Human Settlements [Section 14(1)(f)]

 5.2             Functions of the National Department of Human Settlements

5.2.1       The vision and mission of the National Department of Human Settlements

 

Vision

A nation housed in sustainable human settlements with access to socio-economic infrastructure (Strategic Plan Document, although not yet approved)

 

Mission

To establish and facilitate a sustainable process that provides equitable access to adequate housing for all within the context of affordability of housing and services and access to social and economic amenities (Strategic Plan Document, although not yet approved)

 

Goals

The Department of Human Settlements intents to meet the following qualitative strategic goals in line with the mission: (Strategic Plan Document, although not yet approved)

 

·         To improve overall service efficiency and become a transformed, performance-orientated department.

 

·         To have a vision and strategic objectives that are at all times relevant to the political imperatives and the housing environment.

 

·         To proactively guide housing policy development/review by precise analysis of the housing environment.

 

·         To be the leading authority on housing and human settlement information in the country and to provide speedy, user-friendly access to information at all times.

 

5.2.2       The roles and functions of the National Department of Human Settlements

 

The primary role of national government is to “establish and facilitate a sustainable housing development process” after consultation with the nine MECs for Human Settlements, and the national organisation representing municipalities (South African Local Government Association, SALGA).

a.            Broad Functions described in the Housing Code

"In order to facilitate and establish a sustainable national housing development process, national government, acting through the Minister of Human Settlements, must carry out a number of key functions.  These functions are as follows:

1.                   Policy: Determines national policy, including norms and standards, in respect of housing development;

2.                   Goals: Sets broad national housing delivery goals; facilitates the setting of provincial housing delivery goals; and, where appropriate, facilitates the setting of housing delivery goals of a municipality;

3.                   Performance monitoring: Monitors the performance of the housing sector against housing delivery goals and performance indicators, in co- operation with every MEC;

4.                   Capacity support:

a.       Assists provinces to develop their administrative capacity;

b.       Supports and strengthens the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise their powers and perform their duties in respect of housing development;

5.                   Consultation: Promotes consultation on matters regarding housing development between national government and representatives of civil society, the sectors and subsectors supplying or financing housing goods and services, provincial government and municipalities and any other stakeholder in housing development;

6.                  Communication: Promotes effective communication in respect of housing development."

b.           Functions

In addition to the above broad functions and in support thereof, the Minister of Housing undertakes the following:

·                     To establish a national institutional and funding framework for housing development;

·                     To negotiate the apportionment of the State budget for housing development purposes;

·                     To allocate funds for national housing programmes to provincial governments;

·                     To prepare and maintain a multi-year housing development plan;

·                     To establish and finance national institutions for purposes of housing development;

·                     To evaluate the performance of the housing sector; and

·                     To take steps reasonably necessary to create an environment conducive to enable all role players and individuals to achieve their respective goals in respect of housing development.

Further detail on the functions on directorate level can be obtained from the National Department of Human Settlements website: http://www.dhs.gov.za

5.3            National Department of Human Settlements services available to members of the public [Section 14(1)(f)]

5.3.1       Nature of services

The primary service that the department provides is the establishment and maintenance of a policy and legislative framework required for the facilitation of a sustainable national housing development process. This objective culminated in the introduction of the Housing Act, 1997 (Act No. 107 of 1997), the facilitation of a focussed institutional framework and the National Housing Programmes that direct and govern the Government’s housing assistance and support programmes. The department also facilitates the apportionment of the annual housing allocation to the nine provincial governments for the execution and funding of the National Housing Programmes and Provincial Housing Programmes that are consistent with National Housing Policy.

Housing development realises within a structured and planned regime and is executed by provincial governments and municipalities. The decision-making power regarding National Housing Programmes vests in the members of the Executive Councils responsible for housing of the nine provincial governments.

Municipalities may also apply to the MEC for accreditation to administer National Housing Programmes and, if successful, it will assume the decision-making power in respect of the National Housing Programmes.

In addition to the role provincial governments and municipalities play in regard to housing development, government has established the following national institutions to facilitate the specific housing and housing-related needs of the market:

·               The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC)

The NHBRC is responsible for the protection of housing consumers by providing a warranty protection against defects in new houses. It furthermore regulates the building industry by facilitating the registration of builders with the NHBRC and by governing the technical norms and standards for house construction with the objective to improve quality in the interests of consumers. All houses to be constructed must be registered at the NHBRC, and the council will in return provide specific services to the industry and consumers.

·               The National Urban and Reconstruction Agency (NURCHA)

NURCHA is primarily responsible for the provision of bridging-finance guarantees to contractors, end-user finance guarantees to assist people in the lowest income categories to access housing credit, and capacity-building grants to communities to facilitate community development. The institution is also responsible for a national savings scheme that assists low-income persons to save towards the goal of gearing their housing-subsidy funding.

·               The National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) 

This institution is a development-finance institution with the main goal of providing housing credit on a sustainable manner to low-income earners. To this end the NHFC undertakes to fund intermediaries to promote broader access to housing, to build adequate and sustainable capacity within the organisations it funds, and to enter into partnerships to pioneer new finance-delivery approaches.

The institution focuses on debt finance where it makes loans available to established housing institutions, non-bank lenders and banks for lending to poor households. It also undertakes equity finance through the provision of financial-gearing capacity to social housing institutions and non-banks. The capacity-building objective is realised through assistance to emerging and new institutions to enable then to fully participate in the market.

·               The Social Housing Foundation (SHF)

The SHF focuses on support for the social housing-institution market. This is achieved by providing training, advice and technical support to emerging and established social-housing institutions. It also assists the Minister in the development of appropriate policy and strategy in respect of the social-housing dimension. The SHF also facilitates access to donor funding for the social-housing initiative.

·               SERVCON Housing Solutions (Pty) Ltd

This institution was established as part of the joint venture between the banks and the government to deal with specific non-performing loans and properties in possession of banks due to defaulting loans, and the abnormality of the South African housing-credit market that existed in 1994. SERVCON assists identified defaulting beneficiaries with the rescheduling of their existing loans, or where affordability dictates to relocate to alternative affordable housing opportunities. Linked to this initiative, a separate delivery institution was created referred to as Thubelisha Homes that undertakes the construction of right-sized housing units.

5.3.2       How to gain access to services

To gain access to the services at the National Department of Human Settlements, requests must be made to the Director General of this Department

Postal Address:

 

The Director General

National Department of Human Settlements

Private Bag x644

PRETORIA

Republic of South Africa

0001

Street Address:

 

The Director General

Govan Mbeki House

240 Walker Street

PRETORIA

5.4             Arrangements/provisions allowing for a person to be involved in the formulation of policy and/or the exercise of powers of the National Department of Human Settlements[Section 14(1)(g)]

National housing policy and strategy formulation and approval takes place within a structured process. In this regard the principle of consultation is made obligatory through the provision of the Housing Act, 1997. The Minister is primarily responsible for the development of national housing policy and strategy. This is undertaken through the consultation process facilitated by the Housing: MINMEC structure. Housing: MINMEC comprises the Minister of Human Settlements, the nine members of the Executive Councils responsible for housing of the nine provincial governments and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

The department does, from time to time, consult on a broad basis on policy and strategy issues and such initiatives normally take the form of consultation workshops and national housing summits.

The fundamental principle remains that everyone in the country has access to the decision-making structures through the democratic political dispensation of the Republic. Notwithstanding this fact, the department is committed to consult as widely as practically possible regarding future housing policy and strategy.

6.                     National Department of Human Settlements Records [Section 14(1)(d-e)]

6.1.1            Automatic disclosure of records [Section 14(1)(e)] [Section15(2)]

The records listed here are automatically available without a person having to request access in terms of the Act. These have not yet been gazetted as prescribed in the Act.

The Deputy Information Officer can be contacted to get access to these records:

·               available for inspection in terms of legislation other than this Act,

·               available for purchase

·               available for copying. There is a fee payable for the copies. (See par 6.2)

·              available free of charge in certain instances, e.g. via the National Department of Human Settlements website: http://www.dhs.gov.za.

Table 1: Records automatically available from the National Department of Human Settlements

Subject

Sub-subject

Standards

Standards for external services: Financial reporting and accountability

Standards

Standards for external services: Strategic guidance on government direction and priorities

Standards

Standards for external services: Housing policy and legislation development and review

Standards

Standards for external services: Monitoring and impact assessment

Standards

Standards for external services: Information provision

Standards

Standards for external services: Information dissemination and communication

Standards

Standards for external services: Capacity Building

Housing Code

General

§       Minister’s statement

§       Introduction to the housing code

§       The user friendly guide

Housing Code: Part 1

SA's National Housing Policy: Navigating South Africa's housing policy

Housing Code: Part 1

SA's National Housing Policy: Overall approach to housing in South Africa

§      A Vision for housing in South Africa

§      The National Housing Goal

§      A Framework for a National Housing Policy:  Basic points of departure.

§      Fundamental principles for housing policy & implementation

Housing Code: Part 1

SA's National Housing Policy: South Africa's housing policy in Seven Strategies

§      Stabilising the Housing Environment

§      Mobilising Housing Credit

§      Providing Subsidy Assistance

§      Supporting the People’s Housing Process

§      Rationalising Institutional Capacities

§      Facilitating Speedy Release and Servicing of Land

§      Co-ordinating state investment in development

Housing Code: Part 1

SA's National Housing Policy: Conclusion - Housing in the bigger picture

§       Institutional Framework

§       Macroeconomic Environment

§       Demographic Framework

§       Conclusion: Opportunities

Housing Code: Part 2

Understanding the Housing Act and related administrative procedures: Introduction

§      Overview of the Housing Act

§      Framework of the Housing Act

§      Points of departure

§      Principles

Housing Code: Part 2

Understanding the Housing Act and related administrative procedures:

§      Roles & Responsibilities

§      Functions of National government

§      Functions of Provincial government

§      Functions of Local government

 

Annexure A: agreement relating to accreditation

Housing Code: Part 2

Understanding the Housing Act and related administrative procedures: Key provisions of the Act

§      National Norms and Standards

§      Financing our Housing Programmes 

§      Managing our assets, liabilities, rights and obligations

§      Housing Information

§      Delegations

Housing Code: Part 2

Understanding the Housing Act and related administrative procedures: Statutory bodies

§       South African housing Development Board

§       Provincial Housing Development Boards

Housing Code: Part 2

Understanding the Housing Act and related administrative procedures: Conclusion

§      Eradicating past practice

§      Roles of Government

§      Key provisions of the Act

§      Statutory bodies

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Introduction

§       Navigating this part

§      Overview of national housing programmes

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Introduction

§       Navigating this part

§       Overview of national housing programmes

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing Subsidy Scheme - project linked subsidies

§      Overview

§      Eligibility and other conditions for project-linked subsidies

§      How developers apply for project-linked subsidies

§      How the PHD/MEC judges the project-linked subsidy application

§      After approval of the project-linked subsidy application

§      Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing subsidy scheme / individual subsidies

§      Overview

§      Eligibility and other conditions for individual subsidies

§      Non-credit-linked subsidies

§      Credit-linked subsidies

§      Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing subsidy scheme / individual subsidies

§       Overview

§       Eligibility and other conditions for individual subsidies

§       Non-credit-linked subsidies

§       Credit-linked subsidies

§       Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing subsidy scheme / institutional subsidies

§      Overview

§      Eligibility and other conditions for institutional subsidies

§      How to apply for an institutional subsidy

§      How the PHD/MEC judges the application for an institutional subsidy

§      After approval of the institutional subsidy application

§      National housing database

§      Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing subsidy scheme / relocation assistance

§      Overview

§      The Rules of the Record of Understanding and the Revised Record of Understanding

§      Right-sizing

§      Relocation Assistance

§      Rules regarding occupants who are not the original owners or borrowers

§      Special arrangements in respect of borrowers who have vacated their properties

§      Special arrangements with respect to aged and disabled persons

§      How to apply for Relocation Assistance

§      How the PHDB judges the application for relocation assistance

§      PHDB administrative guidelines for relocation assistance

§      Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing Subsidy Scheme / People's Housing Process

§       Overview

§       Eligibility and other conditions for People's Housing Process

§       How to apply

§       Accessing the consolidation subsidy via the People’s Housing Process

§       Accessing the project linked subsidy via the People’s Housing Process

§       Accessing the institutional subsidy via the People’s Housing Process

§       Accessing the rural subsidy, informal land rights, via the People's Housing Process

§       After Approval

§       Subsidy Agreement

§       Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Discount Benefit Scheme

§      Overview

§      Eligibility and other conditions for the Discount Benefit Scheme

§      How to apply for a Discount Benefit

§      After approval of a Discount Benefit

§      Administrative guidelines for the Discount Benefit Scheme

§      Termination of Discount Benefit Scheme

§      Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Hostels redevelopment programme

§       Overview

§       Objectives of Public Hostels Redevelopment Programmes initiatives

§       Principles application to the Hostels proposals

§       Form of Redevelopment

§       Funding of Redevelopment

§       How to apply for Public Sector Hostel Redevelopment Funding

§       After approval

§       Key points to remember

Housing Code: Part 3

National Housing Programmes: Housing subsidy scheme / rural subsidy

§      Background

§      Land Tenure

§      The Policy in regard to Land Tenure

§      Land held by a community

§      Implementation Agents

§      Project proposals

§      National Database

§      Relationships between implementation agent and beneficiaries

§      Identification of land

§      Qualification criteria and amount of subsidy

§      Polygamous Unions

§      Local Authority Accreditation

§      Revisions

Policies

Housing and Policy Strategy for SA

Policies

Housing White Paper

Legislation

Housing Amendment Act 2001 (No 4 of 2001)

Legislation

Housing Act 1997 (No 107 of 1997)

Legislation

Home Loan and Mortgage Disclosure Act 2000 (No 63 of 2000)

Legislation

Redetermination of the Boundaries of cross-boundary Municipalities 2000 (No 69 of 2000)

Legislation

Housing Consumers Protection Amendment Act 1999 (No 27 of 1999)

Legislation

Housing Amendment Act 1999 (No 28 of 1999)

Legislation

Rental Housing Act 1999 (No 50 of 1999)

Legislation

Housing Second Amendment Act 1999 (No 60 of 1999)

Legislation

Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 1998 (No 19 of 1998)

Legislation

Disestablishment of South African Housing Trust Limited Bill

Legislation

Community Reinvestment Bill 2001

Reports

Job Creation Report

Quarterly reports on the impact of the macro-economy on housing, levels of savings and micro-finance.

Monitoring of housing support institutions

Guidelines

Guidelines for Foreign Investors

Frameworks

Urban Development Framework

Statistics (Selected)

Houses completed or Under Construction

Statistics (Selected)

Total Subsidies approved

Statistics (Selected)

Individual Subsidies approved

Statistics (Selected)

Top Structures completed or Under Construction

Statistics (Selected)

Projects Approved

Statistics (Selected)

Projects Started

Statistics (Selected)

Projects with Houses in Progress

Statistics (Selected)

Housing Deliver Maps per Province

Speeches

Various

Press Releases

Various

Contact Details

Heads of Housing

Contact Details

Housing Network

Contact Details

Institutions

Projects

Per Province

Tenders

If applicable

Website

http://www.dhs.gov.za

6.1.2       Categories of records available for inspection in terms of other legislation

·               The Housing Act 1997 (No 107 of 1997).

·               The Labour Relations Act 1995 (No 66 of 1995 as amended)

·               The Legal Deposit Act 1997 (No 54 of 1997)

·               The National Archives of South Africa Act 1996 (No 43 of 1996)

·               The Home Loan and Mortgage Disclose Act 2000 (No 63 of 2000)

NOTE: The provisions of section 5 of the of the Act make very clear that PAIA applies to the exclusion of any provision of any other legislation that prohibits or restricts the disclosure and which is materially inconsistent with the object or specific provision of PAIA. [Section 5(5)]

6.1.3       Categories of records available that may be requested via PAIA [Section 14 (1)(d)]

Access to the records listed here are those that have to be requested in terms of the Act. These records can be requested from the National Department of Human Settlements Deputy Information Officers according to the request procedures as described in the paragraph below.

Table 2: Records that can be requested via the Promotion of Access to Information Act, Act 2 of 2000

Subject

Sub-Subject

Agendas & Minutes

 

Agreements

Agreements Bilateral

Agreements

Agreements International

Contracts

Contracts

Finance

Departmental Budget

Finance

Fund Cash Flow

Finance

Fund Expenditure

Finance

Institutional Funds Report

Finance

Provincial Fund Cash Flow

Finance

Provincial Fund Expenditure

Finance

Public Company Funds

Mandates

Mandates

Personnel Records

Advertisements

Personnel Records

Appointments

Personnel Records

Housing Records

Personnel Records

Injury on Duty

Personnel Records

Leave Records

Personnel Records

Pensions

Personnel Records

Performance Appraisals Records

Personnel Records

Personnel Selection

Personnel Records

Promotions

Personnel Records

Records provided by personnel

Personnel Records

Remuneration Records

Personnel Records

Salary Scales

Personnel Records

Transfers

Plans

Business Plans

Plans

Business Plans: Housing Institutional

Plans

Housing Strategic Plan

Plans

Human Resource Plans

Plans

Human Resource Programme Plans

Policies

Frameworks: Institutional

Policies

Frameworks: Legal

Policies

Frameworks: Policies

Policies

Housing Educational Policy

Policies

Housing Policy

Policies

Monitoring Criteria

Policies

Policy Implementation Status

Policies

Special Housing Needs: Disabled

Policies

Special Housing Needs: HIV/AIDS

Policies

Special Housing Needs: Needs: Elderly

Policies

Special Housing Needs: Needs: Orphan

Policies

Special Housing Needs: Needs: Street Children

Policies

Special Housing Needs: Needs: Youth

Programmes

AA Programme

Programmes

Employee Assistance Programme

Programmes

Empowerment Programmes

Programmes

HIV/AIDS Programme

Programmes

Housing Programme Goals: Local Authorities

Programmes

Housing Programme Goals: National

Programmes

Housing Programme Goals: Provincial

Programmes

Housing Programmes

Programmes

Housing Programmes Plans

Programmes

Human Rights Programmes

Programmes

Skills Development

Reports

Annual Report

Reports

Audit Reports

Reports

Committee Meeting Reports

Reports

Housing Programme Reports

Reports

Human Resource Programme Plan Reports

Reports

ODI Funds Report

Reports

Policy Implementation Reports

Reports

Policy Performance Reports

Reports

Quarterly Reports

Reports

Special Programmes Reports

Strategies

Delivery Goals: Local Authorities

Strategies

Delivery Goals: National

Strategies

Delivery Goals: Provincial

Strategies

Strategy and guidelines on Capacity Building

Strategies

Guidance on Land Usage

Strategies

Housing Educational Strategy

Strategies

Housing Land Policy

Strategies

Housing Land Strategy Rural

Strategies

Housing Land Strategy Urban

Strategies

Housing Strategies

Strategies

Internal Communications Strategy

Strategies

Media Communications Strategy

7.                Request procedure

English will be the formal communication language with regard to this Act.

7.1             Steps to be taken by the Requester

The requester must comply with all the procedural requirements as prescribed in the Act (summarised hereafter), i.e. all requests, complying with the procedures as set out below, will be considered and processed.

Access to a record may only be refused on the grounds of refusal mentioned in the Act. (See par 6.3)

It is recommended that the requester determine what kind of requester he/she is, because it has the following implications.

Type of Requester

Description/Definition

Implication

Personal Requester

Seeking access to a record containing personal information about the requester

No Request fee and no deposit on access fee(s) payable

Requester

Any person making a request for access to a record of the National Department of Human Settlements.

or

Only those public bodies that are exercising a public power or performing a public function in terms of legislation

Request fee payable and deposit on access fee(s) payable

Requester on behalf of someone

A person acting on behalf of another person and making a request on behalf of that person

Proof of the capacity in which the requester is acting on behalf of the other person must be provided

 

Request fee payable

A request for access must be made by completing the prescribed National Department of Human Settlements request form, paying the request fee and sending it to the Deputy Information Officer.

·               The request form is available:

o              As Annex A to this manual (for completion by hand);

o              Downloadable from the National Department of Human Settlements website (http://www.dhs.gov.za) as part of the National Department of Human Settlements PAIA Manual;

o              By requesting it to be forwarded via fax, letter, phone or e-mail from the Deputy Information Officer;

o              By collecting the form at the National Department of Human Settlements reception or PAIA Centre.

·               The request form can be completed by hand or electronically when it is downloaded from the website.

·               A requester with reading/ writing or other disabilities may make the request verbally. The verbal request will be written on the prescribed form and the requester will be provided with a copy thereof.

·               The form must be signed by the requester.

·               The requester must sign all additional pages of documentation added to the request form.

·               The personnel from the PAIA Centre can also be contacted and will assist in making the request.

To cut down on administration it is recommended that the payment of the Request fee of R35.00, with the exception of a Personal Requester, be attached or included with the request. The National Department of Human Settlements will accept payment by means of cash, postal orders, revenue stamps, credit card and not-transferable cheques (cheques and postal orders must be made payable to THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS and a clearing period of 10 working days must be allowed for cheques). (See par 6.2)

Dispatch the completed request form to the Deputy Information Officer of the National Department of Human Settlements, by:

·               posting it to the postal address provided;

·               delivering it to the PAIA Centre at the physical address; or

·               faxing it (only if no request fees are applicable).

It is recommended that the requester keep a copy of the request for his/her own records.

The National Department of Human Settlements Deputy Information Officer:

·               will only process the request for access once both the:

o              the request form has been correctly completed, and

NOTE: The Deputy Information Officer may not refuse a request for access if the prescribed request form has not been completed correctly or completely,

§              unless the requester has been notified (PAIA-REQ-01) of the intention to refuse the request stating the reasons for the contemplated refusal, and

§               he/ she volunteers to assist the requester in order to make the request in a form that would remove the grounds for refusal. [Section 19(2)]

o              the request fee (where applicable) has been paid;

·               has 30 days (where applicable) to make a decision. An additional 30 days may be added to the original period to make the decision. The requester will be informed in writing by post, within 30 days, of the decision to extend the period; (PAIA-REQ-12)

·               can decide and notify the requester on the following:

o              to grant the request (PAIA-REQ-08 or PAIA-REQ-09);

o              To partially grant/refuse the request (PAIA-REQ-11)

o              notice of fees payable (if applicable). The record(s) will only be made available if the Deputy Information Officer has received the applicable fees; (PAIA-REQ-03)

o              to refuse the request (PAIA-REQ-10);

NOTE: If a Deputy Information Officer fails to respond within 60 days (including the extended period) to the request it should be regarded as a refusal and the requester may lodge an Internal Appeal. [Section 27]

o              to transfer/forward the request to the applicable public body or other government department (PAIA-REQ-02);

o              that a third party/parties must first be consulted (PAIA-REQ-13);

o              that the record(s) cannot be found  (PAIA-REQ-06); and

o              that access is deferred, i.e. where the record(s) is to be published within 90 days (The Heading and nr of Letter). (PAIA-REQ-07)

7.2          Prescribed Fees (Public Bodies)

In terms of the Act there are two types of fees payable, i.e.:

·               The request fee, which is a standard once-off fee. The prescribed fee is R35,00. This fee must be paid before a request can be processed and the Deputy Information Officer must notify the requester (in writing) that this fee is payable.

NOTE: The request fee is not applicable in the case of a personal requester. [Section 22(1)]

·               The access fees include reproduction, search, preparation and postal costs where applicable.

NOTE: If the search and preparation time exceed six hours, a deposit of one third of the access fee would be payable by the requester, excluding a personal requester. The Deputy Information Officer will notify the requester in writing of the deposit payable. Should the request for access be refused the Deputy Information Officer must refund/repay the deposit to the requester. [Section 22(2)(b)]

The prescribed fees are summarised in accordance with Part II of the Government Notice (R187) published in the Government Gazette on 15 February 2002.

FEE DESCRIPTION

RAND value

Request Fees [Section 22(8)]

1.                   The request fee payable by every requester, other than a personal requester, referred to in regulation 7 (2).

35,00

Reproduction Fees [Section 15(3)] (apply to the reproduction of records that are disclosed voluntarily or that are made available automatically)

2.                   The fee for a copy of the manual as contemplated in regulation 5(c) is R0,60 for every photocopy of an A4-size page or part thereof.

0,60 per page

3.                   The fees for reproduction referred to in regulation 7(1) are as follows:

a.             For every photocopy of an A4-size page or part thereof

0,60

b.             For every printed copy of an A4-size page or part thereof held on a computer or in electronic or machine-readable form

0,40

c.             For a copy in a computer-readable form on:

·            stiffy disc

·            compact disc

 

5,00

40,00

d.             For a transcription of visual images:

·            for an A4-size page or part thereof

·            for a copy of visual images

 

22,00

60,00

e.             For a transcription of an audio record:

·            for an A4- size page or part thereof

·            for a copy of an audio record

 

12,00

17,00

Access Fees (apply to records requested by means of the PAIA request form)

4.                   (1)The access fees payable by a requester referred to in regulation 7(3) are as follows:

 

a.             For every photocopy of an A4-size page or part thereof

0,60

b.             For every printed copy of an A4-size page or part thereof held on a computer or in electronic or machine-readable form

0,40

c.             For a copy in a computer-readable form on:

·            stiffy disc

·            compact disc

 

5,00

40,00

d.             For a transcription of visual images

·            for an A4-size page or part thereof

·            for a copy of visual images

 

22,00

60,00

e.             For a transcription of an audio record

·            for an A4- size page or part thereof

·            for a copy of an audio record

 

12,00

17,00

Search and Preparation Fees

 

f.               To search for and prepare the record for disclosure, R15,00 for each hour or part of an hour, excluding the first hour, reasonably required for such search an preparation

15,00 per hour exl 1st  hour

Deposit Required [Section 22(2)]

 

4.      (2) For purposes of section 22(2) of the Act, the following       apply:

 

a.          six hours as the hours to be exceeded before a deposit is payable; and

b.             one third of the access fee is payable as a deposit by the requester

 

Postal Fees

 

4      (3) The actual postal fee is payable when a copy of a record must be posted to a requester

 

The National Department of Human Settlements will accept payment by means of the following methods.

·               Cash.

·               Postal orders. Postal Orders must be made payable to THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

·               Revenue stamps.

·               Not-transferable cheques (a clearing period of 10 days must be allowed). Cheques must be made payable to THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS.

The National Department of Human Settlements will, in the case of cash, postal orders and revenue stamps, issue a receipt. In the case of cheques an interim acknowledgement will be issued until such time that the cheque has been cleared, after which a receipt will be issued.

A requester may lodge an Internal Appeal against, or an application with a court, on the payment of fees. (See par 6.4)

7.3             Grounds for refusal of access to a record(s) [Chapter 4 of the Act]

Since the Act does not apply to the following, any requests thereof will be refused:

·               The requested record is a Cabinet record.

·               The requested record is a Cabinet committee record.

·               The requested record is a record of judicial functions of a court.

·               The requested record is a record of a special tribunal.

·               The requested record is a record of a judicial officer

·               The requested record is a record of an individual member of Parliament or Provincial Legislature.

A request may be refused if the requester hasn't complied with all procedural requirements after he/she has been notified of the intention to refuse the request by the Deputy Information Officer.

The Act provides for grounds where access to a record MUST or MAY be refused.

NOTE: In addition to what must or may be refused, the Act also stipulates:

·               when access to a record(s) MAY NOT be refused; and

·               when the disclosure of a record(s) is MANDATORY in the interest of the public. [Section 46]

For the purpose of this manual, only the grounds on which access to a record MUST BE REFUSED will be highlighted here.

The Deputy Information Officer MUST, subject to certain provisions, refuse a request for access on the following grounds:

·               Mandatory protection of privacy of a third party who is a natural person, i.e. if its disclosure would involve the unreasonable disclosure of personal information about a third party, including a deceased individual [Section 34(1)].

·               Mandatory protection of certain records of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), i.e. the Information Officer of SARS must refuse a request to a record of SARS if it contains information that was obtained or is held by SARS for the purposes of enforcing legislation concerning the collection of revenue as defined in section 1 of the South African Revenue Service Act, 1997 (Act 34 of 1997) [Section 35(1)].

·               Mandatory protection of commercial information of third party, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if the record contains [Section 36(1)]:

o              trade secrets of a third party;

o              financial, commercial, scientific or technical information other than trade secrets of a third party, of which the disclosure could likely cause harm to the commercial or financial interests of that third party; or

o              information supplied in confidence by a third party and the disclosure could put that third party at a disadvantage in contractual or other negotiations, or prejudice that third party in commercial competition.

·               Mandatory protection of certain confidential information of a third party, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if the disclosure of the record would constitute an action for breach of a duty of confidence owed to a third party in terms of an agreement [Section 37(1)(a)].

·               Mandatory protection of safety of individuals, and protection of property, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if its disclosure could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of an individual [Section 38(a)].

·               Mandatory protection of police dockets in bail proceedings, and protection of law enforcement and legal proceedings, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if access to that record is prohibited in terms of section 60 (14) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977) [Section 39(1)(a)].

·               Mandatory protection of records privileged from production in legal proceedings, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if the record is privileged from production in legal proceedings unless the person entitled to the privilege has waived the privilege [Section 40].

·               Mandatory protection of research information of third party, and protection of research information of public body, i.e. the Deputy Information Officer must refuse a request if the record contains information about research being or to be carried out by or on behalf of a third party, the disclosure of which would be likely to expose [Section 43(1)]:

o              the third party;

o              a person that is or will be carrying out the research on behalf of the third party; or

o              the subject matter of the research;

to serious disadvantage.

8.                     Remedies available against decisions of the Information Officer [Section 14(1)(h)]

8.1.1       Internal Appeals and Applications to Court [Sections 74-82]

The remedies available against decisions of the Information Officer or Deputy Information Officer on a request for access are:

·               an Internal Appeal, [Section 74 - 77] or

·               an application to court [Section 78 - 82].

NOTE: Applications to/with a court may only be done after a requester, personal requester or third party has exhausted the Internal Appeal procedures. [Section 78(1)]

'Internal appeal' means an Internal Appeal to the 'Relevant Authority' in terms of section 74 of the Act. In the case of the National Department of Human Settlements, the 'Relevant Authority' is the Minister of Human Settlements or the person designated in writing by the Minister of Human Settlements.

Internal appeal procedures are subject to such a mechanism actually being in place within a public body to facilitate such an Internal Appeal.

A requester, personal requester or third party may lodge an Internal Appeal if he/she is not satisfied with the decision made by the Information Officer or Deputy Information Officer about a request for access.

·               A requester, i.e. personal requester, requester, requester on behalf of someone, may lodge an Internal Appeal against, or an application with a court on the decision(s) of the Information Officer or Deputy Information Officer, re:

o              the extension of the period to deal with a request [Section 26(3)(c]; or

o              the refusal to grant access [Section 25(3)(c)]; or

o              the payment of fees, i.e.:

§               a request fee [Section 22]; or

§               an access fee;

§               a deposit on access fees [Section 22]; or

o              the form of access granted [Section 25 (2)(c)].

·               A third party/parties may only lodge an Internal Appeal against, or an application with a court on the decision(s) of the Information Officer or Deputy Information Officer to:

o              grant a request for access. [Section 49(3)(b)]

NOTE: In this case access to the record may be given only when the decision to grant the request is finally confirmed [Section 29(9)].

For an Internal Appeal to be lodged, a requester, personal requester or third party should/must lodge it within a specific time frame after being notified/informed of the decision of the Deputy Information Officer. The time frames are as follows

·               A requester (i.e. personal requester, requester, requester on behalf of someone), within 60 days that the requester has been informed of a decision.

·               A third party/parties, within 30 days after the third party has been notified that access has been granted.

NOTE: The lodging of a late Internal Appeal may be allowed if a good reason as to why it is late is provided. If disallowed, the person lodging the request will receive notification of the decision [Section 75(2)(a)(b)].

          Currently no fees are applicable with regard to Internal Appeals.

8.1.2       Internal Appeal Procedures [Section 74-77]

To lodge an Internal Appeal the requester or third party needs to complete the prescribed National Department of Human Settlements "Notice of Internal Appeal" form.

·               The Internal Appeal form is available:

o              As Annex B to this manual (for completion by hand);

o              Downloadable from the National Department of Human Settlements website (http://www.dhs.gov.za) as part of the National Department of Human Settlements PAIA Manual;

o              By requesting it to be forwarded via fax, letter, phone or e-mail from the Deputy Information Officer;

o              By collecting the form at National Department of Human Settlements reception or from the PAIA Centre.

·               The Internal Appeal form can be completed by hand or electronically when it is downloaded from the website.

·               The form must be signed by the appellant.

·               All additional pages of documentation added to the Internal Appeal form must be signed by the appellant.

The completed Internal Appeal form is to be dispatched to the Deputy Information Officer of the National Department of Human Settlements, by:

·               posting it to the postal address provided;

·               delivering it to the PAIA Centre at the physical address; or

·               by faxing it.

It is recommended that the requester keep a copy of the Internal Appeal for his/her own records.

The following actions will result from an Internal Appeal:

·               The Deputy Information Officer must submit the Internal Appeal to the Relevant Authority within 10 working days.

·               The Relevant Authority must inform third party/parties involved as soon as possible, but definitely within 30 days, by the fastest means possible, after receipt of an Internal Appeal lodged by the requester against the refusal to grant access. (PAIA-APP-02)

·               The Relevant Authority must inform the requester involved as soon as possible, but definitely within 30 days, by the fastest means possible, after receipt of an Internal Appeal lodged by the third party/parties against the granting of access. (PAIA-APP-03)

·               The Relevant Authority must decide on the Internal Appeal as soon as possible, but definitely:

o              within 30 days after receiving it from the Deputy Information Officer;

o              within 30 days after a third party or requester has been informed of an Internal Appeal; or

NOTE: The third party or requester may, within 21 days after being informed, make written representations to the Relevant Authority on why a request should either not be granted or be granted. [Section 76 (51)]

o              within 5 working days after a requester has made written representations on the Internal Appeal by a third party/parties.

·            If knowledge about an Internal Appeal has been obtained by other means than by the Relevant Authority, written or verbal representations should be made to the Relevant Authority on why the request for access should be refused.

·            The Relevant Authority may decide to:

o              confirm the decision appealed against, or

o              to substitute a new decision for it.

·            Immediately after the decision on the Internal Appeal has been made, written notification of the decision will be given to:

o              the appellant; (PAIA-APP-04 or PAIA-APP-06)

o              every third party (if not the appellant); (PAIA-APP-05)

o              the requester (if not the appellant) (PAIA-APP-05).

NOTE: If the Relevant Authority fails to give notice of a decision on the appeal within 30 days it should be regarded as that the Internal Appeal has been dismissed, and the requester may then apply to a court. [Section 77 (7)]

8.1.3          Application to Court Procedures [Section 78-82]

An application may only be lodged with:

·               the Constitutional Court;

·               a High Court or another court of similar status; or

·               a Magistrate's Court presided over by a magistrate designated in writing by the Minister of Justice.

NOTE: [Section 79]

·               The Rules Board for Courts of Law must make and implement the rules of procedure for court and these rules have to be approved by Parliament before the publication thereof in the Gazette.

·               Until the rules of procedure have been made, applications must be made to the High Court or another court of similar status.

·               Proceedings on application in terms of section 78 of the Act are civil proceedings, and the rules of evidence applicable in civil proceedings apply to this Act.

A requester, personal requester or third party may only apply to a court after he/she has exhausted the Internal Appeal procedures.

A requester, personal requester or third party may, within 30 days, by way of an application, apply to a court for appropriate relief.

A requester or personal requester may apply to a court on the following grounds:

·               being unsuccessful in an Internal Appeal to the Relevant Authority, including Internal Appeals where the Relevant Authority failed to give notice within the stipulated time period; 

·               the decision of the Relevant Authority to disallow the lodging of a late Internal Appeal;

·               the decision of the Deputy Information Officer to refuse a request for access;

·               the decision taken regarding the payment of a request fee, an access fee, or a deposit on an access fee; or

·               the decision taken regarding access being granted in a different form than requested.

A third party may apply to a court on the following grounds:

·               being unsuccessful in an Internal Appeal to the Relevant Authority, including Internal Appeals where the Relevant Authority failed to give notice within the stipulated time period;

·               the decision of the Deputy Information Officer to grant a request for access;

·               the decision of the Deputy Information Officer to refuse a request for access;

·               the decision taken regarding the payment of a request fee, an access fee, or a deposit on an access fee; or

·               the decision taken regarding access being granted in a different form than requested.

The court may grant any order that is just and equitable, including orders:

·               to confirm, amend or set aside the decision of the Internal Appeal;

·               that the Information Officer, Deputy Information Officer or Relevant Authority take action or refrain from taking action within a period mentioned in the order;

·               to grant an interdict;

·               to grant an interim or specific relief;

·               to grant a declaratory order compensation;

·               as to costs.

8.1.4        Complaints to the Public Protector [Section 91]

In terms of section 6(4)(d) of the Public Protector Act, as amended, the Public Protector is competent to investigate on his or her initiative or on receipt of a complaint or on request relating to the operation or administration of PAIA, endeavour, in his /her sole discretion, to resolve any dispute by mediation, conciliation or negotiation, and advising any complainant on appropriate remedies or by any other means.

9.                Other information as prescribed in terms of the Act

9.1             Updating of the Manual [Section 14(2)

The National Department of Human Settlements manual will be updated once a year in March, except in the case of major changes.

9.2             Availability and Language of the Manual [Section 14(1) and (3)]

9.2.1       Language

In terms of Regulation No R. 187 of 15 February 2002, section 4 (1), the National Department of Human Settlements manual is available in the following languages, to be published in the Government Gazette:

·               English.

·               The other two languages still to be decided.

9.2.2       Availability

In terms of Regulation No R. 187 of 15 February 2002, section 4 (1), the National Department of Human Settlements manual is available with:

·               The National Department of Human Settlements

A copy of the manual in the official English is available at the National Department of Human Settlements (PAIA Centre) for public inspection during office hours. No fees will be charged for the public inspection of the manual, but for a copy or part thereof the fees as described in the paragraph on fees, will be charged.

Telephone Nr:

+27 12 421 1721

Fax Nr:

+27 86 551 5787

E-Mail address:

susan.neethling@dhs.gov.za

Postal Address:

 

The Deputy Information Officer: PAIA Centre

National Department of Human Settlements

Private Bag x644

PRETORIA

Republic of South Africa

0001

Street Address:

 

The Deputy Information Officer: PAIA Centre

Govan Mbeki House

240 Walker Street

PRETORIA

Office Hours:

07:30 - 09:30

09:45 - 12:15

13:00 - 14:30

14:45 - 16:00

·               The National Department of Human Settlements website: http://www.dhs.gov.za

·               Places of legal deposit:

o              Bloemfontein Public Library

Telephone Nr: