The South African Football Association (Safa) cannot hide behind the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) when it comes to accountability before the parliamentary oversight committee on sport. This is according to committee chairperson Joe McGluwa of the DA, who said he received communication from the office of the Information Regulator. Safa refused to answer questions on a number of operational issues when it appeared before the committee in November.
The Popia was cited as the reason for this non-disclosure, despite committee members’ insistence on the matter during the question time. McGluwa said an impression was created that the portfolio committee and parliament were violating privacy provisions. The Information Regulator had confirmed to him that employees’ salary information, for example at Safa, is the sort of information required for effective oversight, especially regarding expenditure, human resource compliance and accountability, he said.
“The committee is therefore entitled to insist on full disclosure of the requested salary information to fully discharge its constitutional mandate.” McGluwa said the committee was vindicated by the Information Regulator. “We asked the right questions and demanded transparency. ”No organisation, public or private, is above parliament’s constitutional authority.
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We will continue to do our work without fear, favour or apology. “The committee is not infringing or encroaching on personal information simply by asking for accountability. That narrative ends today, especially with Safa.”
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