Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA)  

The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA), intends to give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information held by the State of South Africa and any information that is held by another person or organization which is required for the exercise or protection of any rights and to provide for matters connected therewith. PAIA allows individuals and organizations to ask for records from the state and private entities. The PAIA Manual provides a procedure and set of rules which are supposed to make it easy and clear to everyone what information can be accessed and how it can be accessed.