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GOVERNMENT GAZE~E, 3 FEBRUARY 2000
PROMOTtON OF ACCESS TO ~OWA~ON ACT, 2000
No. 20852 31
Act No. 2,2000
prescribed hours to search for and prepare (including mting any arrangements
contemplated in section 29(2)(a) and (b)(i) and (ii)(aa)) the record for disclosure.
(7) Access fees prescribed for the purposes of subsection (6) must provide for a
reasonable access fee for—
(a) the cost of mting a copy of a record, or of a transcription of the content of a 5
record, as contemplated in section 29(2)(a) and (b)(i), (ii)(bb), (iii) and (v)
and, if applicable, the postal fee; and
(b) the time reasonably required to search for the record and prepare (including
mating any arrangements contemplated in section 29(2)((z) and (b)(i) and
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(ii)(au)) the record for disclosure to the requester.
(8) The Minister may, by notice in the Gazerte—
(a) exempt any person or category of persons from paying any fee referred to in
this section;
(b) determine that any fee referred to in this section is not to exceed a certain
maximum amount;
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(c) determine the manner in which any fee referred to in this section is to be
calculated;
(d) determine that any fee referred to in this section does not tipply to ~ category
of records;
(e) exempt any person or record or category of persons or records for a stipulated 20
period from any fee referred to in subsection (6); and
(Y) dete~ine that where the cost of collecting any fee referred to in this section
exceeds the amount charged, such fee does not apply.
Records that cannot be found or do not exist
55. (1) If—
(a) all reasonable steps have been t~en to find a record requested: and
(b) there are reasonable ~ounds for believing that the record—
(i) is in the private body’s possession but cannot be found: or
(ii) does not exist.
the head of a private body must, by way of affidavit or affirmation, notify the requester 30
that it is not possible to give access to that record.
(2) The affidavit or affirmation referred to in subsection (1) must give a full account
of all steps t~en to find the record in question or to determine whether the record exists.
as the case may be, including all communications with every person who conducted the
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search on behalf of the head.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the notice in terms of subsection(l) is to be regarded
as a decision to refuse a request for access to the record concerned.
(4) If, after notice is given in terms of subsection (1), the record in question is found,
the requester concerned must be given access to the record unless access is refused on
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a ground for refusal contemplated in Chapter 4 of this Part.
Decision on request and notice thereof
56. (1) Subject to Chapter 5 of this Part, the head of the private body to whom the
request is made must, as soon as reasonably possible, but in any event within 30 days.
after the request has been received or after the particulars required in terms of section
53(2) have been received—
(a) decide in accordance with this Act whether to grant the request; and
(b) notify the requester of the decision and, if the requester stated, as
contemplated in section 53(2)(e), that he or she wishes to be informed of the
decision in any other manner, inform him or her in that manner if it is
reasonably possible.
(2) If the request for access is granted, the notice in terms of subsection (1)(b) must
state—
(u) the access fee (if any) to be paid upon access:
(b) the form in which access will be given; and
(c) that the requester may lodge an application with a court against the access fee
to be paid or the form of access granted, and the procedure for lodging the
application,
(3) If the request for access is refused, the notice in terms of subsection(1)(b) must—
(u) state adequate reasons for the refusal, including the provisions of this Act
relied on:
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