Assessing the Potential Role of Open Data in South African Environmental Management

Adams, Rachel; Adeleke, Fola

doi:10.23962/10539/21585

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…PAIA was passed roughly seven years after the birth of democracy to give effect to constitutional rights of access to information. PAIA was complemented by the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (Act No 2 of 2000), which was enacted on the same day as the PAIA (Adams and Adeleke, 2016). When South Africa acquired democracy, Zimbabwe was already in its third decade of democracy, yet Zimbabwe passed its FOI after South Africa (Article 19 and MISA- Zimbabwe, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Let the people know, and the country will be safe: FOI models in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Mojapelo

2023

RMJ

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Purpose Democratic countries all over the world are embarking on initiatives to empower citizens through public participation. One of the tools used by countries to promote public participation is the enactment and implementation of freedom of information (FOI) legislation, as it is the case with South Africa and Zimbabwe. Despite having legislation reaffirming the need for people’s right to know, practices in South Africa and Zimbabwe indicate the opposite. The purpose of this study is to explore FOI models in South Africa and Zimbabwe, with a view to recommend ways in which people’s right to know can be promoted. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used interviews to collect the data from 12 FOI experts in South Africa and Zimbabwe, who were selected through the snowball sampling technique. Data collected through interviews were supplemented by the data collected through document analysis. Findings The study concluded that the key role players need to make efforts to ensure that the right to know, which is associated with FOI, is being realised in both countries. FOI legislation, in both countries, is imprecise and needs to be revised to ensure effective implementation. Originality/value The study demonstrates that FOI is a necessary tool for people to be involved in decision-making in government. People’s rights to know can be achieved by successfully implementing FOI legislation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Let the people know, and the country will be safe: FOI models in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Mojapelo

2023

RMJ

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Understanding students’ environmental perceptions and some of their determinants in Gauteng province: a case study at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Dlamini

Block

Rampedi

2021

South African Geographical Journal

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Rethinking open government as innovation for inclusive development: Open access, data and ICT in South Africa

Plantinga

Adams

2020

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Developm

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Open government has come to be closely associated with innovation for inclusive development (IID). These two areas of practice and research have converged around similar mechanisms aimed at achieving inclusive development outcomes including; open interaction between government, technologists and end-users in the design of policies and services; open, market-oriented approaches to delivering public services and meeting the needs of citizens; and a central role for information and communication technologies (ICTs) in policy development and innovation activities. We argue, however, that an uncritical adoption of open, ICT-oriented practices risks shifting responsibility and trust for governance and development outcomes to largely unaccountable global and national network enterprises. Taking South Africa as our primary focus, including its new White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), we note a renewed interest in adopting open government practices in relation to IID. More significant, we suggest, is the emergence of 'grassroots', hybrid civic-technology innovation networks at the fringes of formal open government initiatives. This article considers new questions that arise around how these grassroots movements sustain meaningful interaction with mainstream STI processes, how public officials may engage with such movements in order to meet national development outcomes, and the role of ICT in these spaces.

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Assessing the Potential Role of Open Data in South African Environmental Management

Cited by 3 publications

References 13 publications

Let the people know, and the country will be safe: FOI models in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Let the people know, and the country will be safe: FOI models in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Understanding students’ environmental perceptions and some of their determinants in Gauteng province: a case study at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Rethinking open government as innovation for inclusive development: Open access, data and ICT in South Africa

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