An accountability organisation has launched a new Transparency Project aimed at ensuring that major public policy decisions affecting constitutional rights are supported by evidence, transparency and accountability.

The organisation announced that the project’s first initiative involves four applications submitted under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain records relating to the development of the Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill.

According to Civil Society South Africa (CSSA), the first application has already been submitted to the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service.

The remaining applications are being submitted to the SAPS, the Presidency, and the department responsible for the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System.

The organisation said the applications collectively seek access to the complete documentary record underpinning the proposed amendments to the firearm legislation.

This includes policy documents, research, crime statistics, impact assessments, constitutional and legal opinions, consultation records, correspondence, internal memoranda, meeting minutes, and other records relied upon during the development of the proposed legislation.

“The Transparency Project is built on a simple principle: government should be able to show the evidence behind the laws it proposes,” said Reece Clark, national spokesperson for CSSA.

“The Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill seeks to remove self-defence as a valid reason for firearm ownership. That makes it all the more important that the public can see the evidence, research and policy considerations that informed such a far-reaching proposal.”

He said the PAIA applications request records covering every stage of the bill’s development, from its earliest policy discussions and legislative planning through to drafting, legal review, socio-economic impact assessments, consultation processes, implementation planning, and supporting statistical evidence.

The organisation said it is also seeking access to official correspondence, internal emails, presentations, electronic records, and version histories where these formed part of the legislative process.

According to Clark, the proposed legislation has implications for several constitutional rights, including the rights to life, dignity, freedom and security of the person, access to information, and meaningful public participation.

Clark said the Transparency Project is intended to address broader issues of accountability in government and is not limited to the debate surrounding firearm ownership.

“This is about accountable government. Regardless of where someone stands on firearm ownership, every South African should expect legislation to be built on credible evidence rather than assumption or ideology. Public confidence in the legislative process depends on government being willing to show its work,” he said.

The organisation said the purpose of the initiative is to ensure that future public debate on the proposed firearm legislation is informed by the complete factual record rather than political assertions.

He believes access to the requested documents would allow the public to better understand the evidence, research and policy considerations that informed the proposed amendments.

Clark said the organisation believes that the government should be prepared to demonstrate the basis for legislation that could have significant implications for constitutional rights.

“If government believes the proposed amendments will make South Africans safer, it should be willing to demonstrate why,” Clark said.

“Our objective is simple. We want the evidence that informed the Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill to be placed before the public so that South Africans can judge it for themselves.”

The organisation said the applications form part of a broader effort to promote transparency in public policy development and legislative decision-making.

According to Clark, the Transparency Project has been established to encourage evidence-based policymaking and to strengthen accountability where legislation has the potential to affect constitutional rights.

The organisation said the documentary records requested through the PAIA applications span the entire legislative process and include material relating to policy formulation, consultation, legal review, and supporting evidence.

Clark said his organisation intends to publish updates as each of the remaining PAIA applications is submitted.

The organisation also said it will make the responses it receives available as part of its ongoing Transparency Project, to provide the public access to the information obtained through the applications.

The initiative marks the first public campaign under the Transparency Project and focuses specifically on obtaining records relating to the Draft Firearms Control Amendment Bill before further public debate on the proposed legislation.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel