Protection of Personal Information Bill [B9-2009]

On Wednesday 30 September, SAHA attended a workshop at the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) to discuss the Protection of Personal Information Bill of 2009. Attended by a number of community stakeholders, including archivists, lawyers and representatives of the media, the workshop primarily focussed on the implications of the proposed private information law will have on the archival sector in South Africa.

Drawing from the discussions at this workshop, the NMF and SAHA have prepared a joint submission to Parliament. Having monitored the development of this legislation over a decade, the NMF and SAHA believe that it has been improved significantly through its long gestation period, and that overall it now constitutes a well-considered and finely crafted legislative instrument. The joint submission focusses on concerns in only three areas of the bill, these being:

• Definition of Personal Information
• Processing of Special Personal Information (section 32)
• Harmonisation with the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA)

For more information:

Download a copy of the bill from the PMG website

Download the NMF / SAHA Joint Submission