Access to Information and Constitutional Accountability: Ruffling Feathers in South Africa

Richard Calland

doi:10.5771/0506-7286-2017-4-367

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- 329–331 Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis 329–331
- 332–434 Abhandlungen / Articles 332–434
  - 332–366 Access to Information as a Human Right and Constitutional Guarantee. A Comparative Perspective Michael Riegner Michael Riegner 332–366
  - 367–389 Access to Information and Constitutional Accountability: Ruffling Feathers in South Africa Richard Calland Richard Calland 367–389
  - 390–411 State Transparency after the Neoliberal Turn: The Politics, Limits, and Paradoxes of India’s Right to Information Law Aradhana Sharma Aradhana Sharma 390–411
  - 412–434 The Right to Information System in Brazil: Tensions between Transparency and Control of Information Marcio Camargo Cunha Filho Marcio Camargo Cunha Filho 412–434
- 435–450 Berichte / Reports 435–450
  - Access to Environmental Information in the Context of Development Activities in the Legal Framework of Cameroon Jean-Claude N. Ashukem Jean-Claude N. Ashukem
- 451–464 Buchbesprechungen / Book Reviews 451–464
- 465–478 Bibliographie / Bibliography 465–478
  - 465–465 RECHT UND ENTWICKLUNG ALLGEMEIN / LAW AND DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL 465–465
  - 465–469 AFRIKA /AFRICA 465–469
  - 469–471 ASIEN /ASIA 469–471
  - 471–474 LATEINAMERIKA / LATIN AMERICA 471–474
  - 474–478 NAHER UND MITTLERER OSTEN / NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST 474–478
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VRÜ Verfassung und Recht in Übersee , page 367 - 389

Access to Information and Constitutional Accountability: Ruffling Feathers in South Africa

Autoren

Richard Calland

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/0506-7286-2017-4-367
- ISSN: 0506-7286
- ISSN online: 2941-9603
Abstract

Recent corruption scandals pivoting around South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma have knocked much of the gloss off of the country’s rosy constitutional face. But it’s democracy is proving to be resilient in the face of severe challenges to public accountability and transparency. Enshrined in its much-admired Constitution, the right of access to information (ATI) is proving to be a valuable tool that equips key users of the enabling legislation, the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2000 (PAIA), such as investigative journalists or opposition political parties to challenge those in power. While there is a good deal of literature on ATI in South Africa, there is a dearth of scholarly writing on the specific relationship between ATI/PAIA and political accountability. This paper aims to help fill this gap and to do so by use of empirical research that draws on the direct experience of members of four categories of ‘PAIA protagonists’. The evidence of some of the most prominent sets of users of access to information law in South Africa suggests that while this may present itself as the task of Sisyphus, the results can be politically as well as legally significant, thereby justifying the investment in time and resources. The research and analysis shows that the use of ATI law in South Africa is certainly ruffling feathers and helping to inject additional much-needed sharpness and vigour into the democratic process and to entrenching a new culture of constitutional accountability.
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