[okfn-za] Information rejected on the grounds that it may endanger human life.

Wed Aug 7 13:50:48 UTC 2013

Hi Adi,

Better to blog about it than appeal.  When my PAIA request last year for
Telkom's terrestrial fibre map was rejected, I wrote about it (
http://manypossibilities.net/2012/01/a-gentle-plea-to-telkoms-ceo/).  The
story was picked up by the tech media and within 24hrs I had a phone call
from Telkom PR castigating me for not going through appropriate channels
but offering up the map nonetheless.

Perhaps the M&G could be convinced to do a small piece on the
ineffectiveness of PAIA.   The notion of Open Source as trade secret could
make a good news headline.

Regards... Steve

On 7 August 2013 04:45, Adi Eyal <adi at burgercom.co.za> wrote:

> Hi All
>
> As a follow-up to my previous email on a government software audit - I
> received a rejection from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
> Fisheries. They rejected it on the basis of Sections 36 and 38 of the
> PAIA Act. (
> https://github.com/adieyal/gov-software-audit/raw/master/receipts/daff.pdf
> )
>
> This makes me smile a little as Section 36 implies that knowledge of
> the software used by government can be considered to be a trade
> secret. Section 38 suggests that lives might be endangered if this
> information were to be released to the public.
>
> I have an opportunity to appeal the decision but I thought I had to share.
>
> Adi
>
> --
> Adi Eyal
> Data Specialist
> phone: +27 78 014 2469
> skype: adieyalcas
> linkedin: http://za.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adi/Eyal
>
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-- 
Steve Song
+1 902 529 0046
http://manypossibilities.net
http://villagetelco.org
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