Section 3
Act applies to record whenever it came into existence
Part 1 · Introductory Provisions · Chapter 2, General Application Provisions
This Act applies to— (a) a record of a public body; and (b) a record of a private body, regardless of when the record came into existence.
Source: SAFLII, Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (consolidated, updated 11 October 2024), cross-checked verbatim before publishing.
Beyond the text
What this means in practice
- PAIA reaches records no matter when they were created, there's no 'too old to request' cut-off for the Act applying.
- Specific refusal grounds may have their own age rules, but the Act itself covers historical records.
Relevant tool
PopiGuard helps you map the full span of records you hold, legacy included, that could be the subject of a request.