This manual describes the records held by SA Verified News and the process for requesting access under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (“PAIA”), read with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).
1. Publication and Information Officer
- Body
- SA Verified News, trading as SA Verified News
- Nature
- Independent South African digital news publication
- Head / Information Officer
- Information Officer, SA Verified News
- Email for PAIA requests
- paia@saverifiednews.co.za
- Privacy email
- privacy@saverifiednews.co.za
- Service address
- Electronic service is accepted at legal@saverifiednews.co.za. A physical service address may be requested through that channel.
2. Information Regulator’s PAIA guide
The Regulator publishes a guide explaining how to use PAIA. It is available from the Information Regulatorand may be inspected through the Regulator’s public channels.
3. Records held
- corporate, governance, policy, legal, tax and financial records;
- staff, contributor, contractor and supplier records;
- editorial plans, drafts, published articles and archive records;
- verification, corrections, complaints and legal-review records;
- source communications, tips and supporting evidence;
- copyright, licensing, photography and media records;
- website, security, analytics, access and incident records; and
- personal-information processing and data-subject request records.
4. Records available without a PAIA request
Published articles, public policies, contact information, RSS feeds, sitemaps and other material displayed on this website may be accessed directly. Public records may also be available from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, courts or regulators where applicable.
5. How to request a record
- Use the prescribed PAIA request form published by the Information Regulator.
- Email the completed form to paia@saverifiednews.co.za.
- Identify the record precisely, the right being exercised or protected, and the preferred access format.
- Provide proof of identity and authority if acting for another person.
- Pay any prescribed request, search, preparation or reproduction fee after receiving written notice.
We acknowledge requests, assist where a request is reasonably defective, and decide valid requests within the period prescribed by PAIA, subject to any lawful extension.
6. Grounds for refusal
Access may be refused where PAIA requires or permits refusal, including to protect another person’s privacy, confidential sources, journalistic source material, safety, privileged communications, commercial information, copyright, law-enforcement interests or the effective conduct of an active investigation. We apply severability and provide any reasonably separable portion that may lawfully be disclosed.
7. POPIA records and processing
Categories of data subjects include readers, tipsters, sources, article subjects, staff, contributors, suppliers and correspondents. Processing purposes, recipients, safeguards and cross-border arrangements are described in our Privacy Policy. Requests about your own personal information may use the simpler process in our Privacy Requests procedure.
8. Complaints and remedies
If a request is refused or unanswered, you may use the remedies available under PAIA, including a complaint to Information Regulator (South Africa) atPAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.zaor an application to a competent court.
9. Availability and updates
This manual is available without charge on this website. A copy may be requested from paia@saverifiednews.co.za. It is reviewed at least annually and when our records or processing materially change.