The Kimberley resident, who applied a PAIA request to Sol Plaatje Municipality for historical data on Newton Reservoir’s dam levels, has not received a response within the stipulated 30 days. As a result, the resident complained to the Information Regulator, but the regulator could not look into the request as an older version of the PAIA application form was used. Unfortunately, the Sol Plaatje Municipality does not have the PAIA forms available on its website for the public to access.
This means that the resident will have to resubmit a new application form and wait another 30 days for a response from Sol Plaatje Municipality. This is a huge waste of time, and the fact that the municipality claims to be transparent is highly questionable. The Kimberley resident has the right to access the information they requested, and it should not be such a difficult process.
The Information Regulator and other authorities are currently looking into this matter and are taking steps to ensure that the Sol Plaatje Municipality provides a response to the Kimberley resident’s request in a timely manner. It is hoped that the necessary action will be taken to ensure that the municipality is held accountable for its failure to respond.
This article was written by Jurno.