- Media release on 22 June confirms: The Information Regulator has confirmed that there will be no deadline for registration of Information officers (IO) and Deputy Information Officers (DIO); this means that no responsible party will be held liable for not registering by 30 June 2021. This decision follows technical glitches with the registration portal and numerous concerns raised by responsible parties regarding the registration process.
- The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) enforcement powers as promulgated by the President of South Africa in June 2020 will still be coming into effect as of the 1 July 2021.
- The Information Regulator, as of 30 June 21, will also be taking over the function of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
- The Information Regulator has, in terms of section 114(3) of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (No.4 of 2013), determined the 1 February 2022 as the date on which section 58(2) of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (No.4 of 2013) shall become applicable to processing referred to in section 57 of the said Act.
- In relation to PAIA manuals, the scope of information that the manual must cover has been widened to include matters relating to the processing of personal information in terms of POPIA. Up to now, and exemption has allowed smaller private bodies to be exempt from developing a manual. The current exemption expired on 30 June 2021, and the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Ronald Lamola, has extended the current exemption by a further six (6) months effective from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2021 to afford private bodies that are currently exempted adequate time to compile their PAIA Manual.
