The manual assists persons who wish to request access to information by providing them with the procedures involved, as prescribed by the Act.
In terms of public bodies, various concerns have been cited as reasons for non-compliance, such as: Thus, in light of these challenges, which are major factors hampering proper implementation of a successful access to information regime in South Africa, the cross-sectoral National Information Officers Forum was established on 20 September 2006.
On 26 November 2015, the SAHRC received notice from the office of the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services confirming that certain private bodies would be further exempted from compiling and submitting the manual contemplated in section 51 for a period of five years starting from 1 January 2016.
Tha National Information officers Forum (NIOF) is an annual convention that is hosted in partnership with the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) and marks the International Right to Know Day held in September of each year.
The form has been used a means to:[2] Elected by the NOIF, the Coordination Committee is composed of deputy information officers from the various tiers of South African government, as well as representatives from civil society, and is tasked with the activity-oversight of the NOIF, as well as the establishment of forums on a provincial level.