(This Manual pertains to Remgro Limited and the group companies listed in Annexure A hereto hereinafter collectively referred to as “Remgro”)

THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION MANUAL (“MANUAL”)

1.

PREAMBLE

 

The Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (“PAIA“) came into operation on 9 March 2001. PAIA seeks, among other things, to give effect to the Constitutional right of access to any information held by the State or by any other person where such information is required for the exercise or protection of any right and gives natural and juristic persons the right of access to records held by either a private or public body, subject to certain limitations, in order to enable them to exercise or protect their rights. Where a request is made in terms of PAIA to a private body, that private body must disclose the information if the requester is able to show that the record is required for the exercise or protection of any rights, and provided that no grounds of refusal contained in PAIA are applicable. PAIA sets out the requisite procedural issues attached to information requests.

Section 51 of PAIA obliges private bodies to compile a manual to enable a person to obtain access to information held by such private body and stipulates the minimum requirements that the manual has to comply with.

This Manual constitutes Remgro’s PAIA manual. This Manual is compiled in accordance with section 51 of PAIA as amended by the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPIA“), which gives effect to everyone’s Constitutional right to privacy. POPIA promotes the protection of personal information processed by public and private bodies, including certain conditions so as to establish minimum requirements for the processing of personal information. POPIA amends certain provisions of PAIA, balancing the need for access to information against the need to ensure the protection of personal information by providing for the establishment of an Information Regulator to exercise certain powers and perform certain duties and functions in terms of POPIA and PAIA, providing for the issuing of codes of conduct and providing for the rights of persons regarding unsolicited electronic communications and automated decision making in order to regulate the flow of personal information and to provide for matters concerned therewith.

This PAIA manual also includes information on the submission of objections to the processing of personal information and requests to delete or destroy personal information or records thereof in terms of POPIA.

2.

ABOUT REMGRO

 

Originally established in the 1940s by the late Dr Anton Rupert, Remgro’s investment portfolio has evolved substantially and currently includes more than 30 investee companies. The Company is listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE), operated by the JSE Limited in South Africa under the “Industrial – Diversified Industrial” sector (as at 19 September 2019), with the share code “REM”.

3.

CONTACT DETAILS

 

All requests for access to records in terms of PAIA and/or POPIA must be in writing and must be addressed to the contact details below:

 
Name of Body: Remgro Limited (and the companies listed in Annexure A hereto) (“Remgro”)
Information Officer: Mr L Joubert
Deputy Information Officer: Mrs A Geldenhuys
Email address of Information Officer and Deputy Information Officer: privacy@remgro.com
Postal address: PO Box 456
Cape Town
8000
Street address: Millennia Park
16 Stellentia Avenue
Stellenbosch
7600
Phone number: +27 21 888 3000

4.

INFORMATION REGULATORS GUIDE

 

An official PAIA Guide has been compiled which contains information to assist a person wishing to exercise a right of access to information in terms of PAIA and POPIA. Copies of the PAIA Guides are available, in three official languages (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa), for public inspection at our registered head office during normal business hours (08h30 – 16h30). The PAIA Guide is also available on the Regulator’s website https://inforegulator.org.za/paia-guidelines/, in all eleven (11) official languages and copies thereof, including braille, are available at the Office of the Information Regulator, for inspection, during normal office hours. The Information Regulator can be reached at:

The Information Regulator
P.O Box 31533
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2017

E-mail address: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
Telephone number: +27 (0) 10 023 5200

Information Officer
Name: Mr. Mosalanyane Mosala
Telephone number: +27 (0) 10 023 5251
Email: MMosala@inforegulator.org.za

Deputy Information Officer
Name: Mr. Jaco Jansen
Telephone number: +27 (0) 10 023 5237
Email: JJJansen@inforegulator.org.za

5.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS MANUAL

  The objectives of this Manual are:
 
  • to provide a list of all records held by Remgro;
  • to set out the requirements with regard to who may request information in terms of PAIA as well as the grounds on which a request may be denied;
  • to define the manner and form in which a request for information must be submitted;
  • to check the categories of records held by Remgro which are available without having to submit a formal PAIA request; and
  • to comply with the additional requirements imposed by POPIA.

6.

ENTRY POINT FOR REQUESTS

 

PAIA provides that a person may only make a request for information, if the information is required for the exercise or protection of a legitimate right.

Information will therefore not be furnished unless a person provides sufficient particulars to enable Remgro to identify the right that the requester is seeking to protect as well as an explanation as to why the requested information is required for the exercise or protection of that right. The exercise of an individual’s rights is subject to justifiable limitations, including the reasonable protection of privacy, commercial confidentiality and effective, efficient and good governance. PAIA and the request procedure contained in this Manual may not be used for access to a record for criminal or civil proceedings, nor should information be requested after the commencement of such proceedings.

The Information Officer has been delegated with the task of receiving and co-ordinating all requests for access to records in terms of PAIA, in order to ensure proper compliance with PAIA and POPIA.

The Information Officer will facilitate the liaison with the internal legal team on all of these requests.

All requests in terms of PAIA and this Manual must be addressed to the Information Officer using the details in paragraph 3 above.

7.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AVAILABLE WITHOUT HAVING TO REQUEST ACCESS

  The following information is obtainable via the Remgro website about Remgro is automatically available and need not be formally requested in terms of this Manual.
The following categories of records are automatically available via the Remgro website or by sending an email to privacy@remgro.com or by visiting our offices:
   
Category of records Types of record Available on website Available upon request
Corporate Financial SENS Announcements
Company Press Releases
Interim Financial Statements
Annual Financial Statements
Legislative Basic Conditions of Employment Act  
Employment Equity Act  
Financial Advisory and Intermediary Service Act  
Occupational Health & Safety Act  
Media Releases Various Remgro Media Articles
Certificates Financial Services Provider Registration Certificate (FSB)  
Occupancy Certificate  

8.

INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF POPIA

  In terms of POPIA, personal information must be processed for a specified purpose. The purpose for which data is processed by Remgro will depend on the nature of the data and the particular data subject. This purpose is ordinarily disclosed, explicitly or implicitly, at the time the data is collected. Please also refer to the Remgro Privacy Policy for further information.
  8.1. Categories of data subjects and personal information collected by Remgro
   
Categories of data subjects Categories of Personal Information collected
Shareholders Shareholder personal information
Clients (including potential and previous clients) personal/special personal information
contact information
bank details, e.g. account number, etc.
biometric information
surveillance information (e.g. CCTV footage)
client contracts
location information
data collected through cookies and tracking technologies
data collected through surveys
third-party information, such as from credit bureaux and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
Suppliers, service providers, or contractors Supplier or supplier representative personal information
Supplier contracts
Supplier bank details
Biometric information of supplier representatives
Surveillance information of supplier representatives (e.g. CCTV footage)
third-party information, such as from credit bureau and the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
Employees (prospective, previous and existing employees) Employee personal information
Employee education and psychometrics records
Employee medical information
Employee disability information
Employee biometric information
Employee pension and provident fund information
Employee bank details
Employee tax and financial information
Employee contracts
Employee beneficiary information
Employee performance records
Payroll records
Electronic access records
Physical access records
Surveillance records
Health and safety records
Training records
Background checks
Criminal checks
Employment history
Employee vehicle registration
Job applicants Curriculum vitae and application forms
Criminal checks
Background checks
Family members of Employees Personal information
Medical and disability information
Personal information acquired for processing travel documents
Children of Employees Child’s personal information processed e.g. birth certificate, etc.
Child’s medical information and disability information
Child’s information acquired for processing travel documents
Visitors Physical access records
Electronic access records, scans and photographs
Surveillance records (e.g CCTV footage)
Biometric information
  8.2. The purpose of processing personal information
    Depending on the category of personal information which is collected, the purposes for processing may include:
   
8.2.1. to provide you with a service which you have requested from Remgro;
8.2.2. communication with data subjects;
8.2.3. to improve our services;
8.2.4. conducting research and compiling research reports;
8.2.5. provision of support services to data subjects;
8.2.6. preparing aggregated and anonymised reports;
8.2.7. to manage accounts, receive services and process payments;
8.2.8. to assess the suitability of job applicants for employment;
8.2.9.  meeting legal obligations in respect of employment equity and to comply with other applicable laws.
  8.3. The recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal information may be supplied
    Depending on the nature of the personal information, Remgro may supply information or records to the following categories of recipients:
   
  • companies in the Remgro group;
  • business partners;
  • statutory oversight bodies, regulators or judicial commissions of enquiry making a request for data;
  • any court, administrative or judicial forum, arbitration making a request for data or discovery in terms of the applicable rules (i.e. South African Revenue Services, or another similar authority) and anyone making a successful application for access in terms of PAIA; and
  • any person who conducts business with the Remgro, in the ordinary course of business;
  • companies that provide services to Remgro or act on its behalf may have access to information about data subjects; and
  • third parties where the data subject provides consent.
  8.4. Planned transborder flows of personal information
   
8.4.1. Remgro has not planned transborder flows of personal information. However, should it become necessary to transfer personal information to another country for any lawful purpose, Remgro will ensure that the information is subject to a law, binding corporate rules or binding agreement which provides an adequate level of protection, and the third party agrees to treat that personal information with the same level of protection as the Regulator is obliged under the Protection of Personal Information Act.
8.4.2. Any transfers of personal information cross border shall be with the data subject’s consent, however, should it not be reasonably practicable to obtain data subject’s consent, Remgro shall transfer the personal information if (a) it will be for the data subject’s benefit; and (b) the data subject would have given consent should it have been reasonably practicable to obtain such consent. 
  8.5. A general description of information security measures to be implemented by Remgro
    Remgro takes appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to ensure that personal information remains confidential and secure against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.

9.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF OTHER LEGISLATION

  Records are kept in accordance with legislation applicable to Remgro, which includes but is not limited to, the following:
   
Legislation Records
Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 Employee details
Dismissals for dishonesty-related behaviour
Information on disability, trade union membership, race, and religion
Employee next-of-kin or emergency contact details
Conflict-of-interest declarations
Education information
Health and safety records
Pension and provident fund records
Leave records
Internal evaluations and performance records
Disciplinary records
Training records
Background checks
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 Skills development section on the Financial Services Council report
BBBEE status
BBBEE status of suppliers
Supplier employee information
Contractor and supplier agreements
List of suppliers, products, services, and distributors
Companies Act 71 of 2008 Company registration records
Corporate governance documents
Engagement letters
Meeting minutes
Correspondence or enquiries from client
Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of
1993
Records of employees’ earnings and particulars
Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 Electronic transaction records
Records of electronic communications with clients or partners
Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 Employment equity plans and records
Records of employment equity assessments and targets
Recruitment and promotion records
Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001 Identification and verification records
Client due diligence records
Risk Management and Compliance Program
Training records
Records of financial transactions conducted on behalf of clients, including details of the transaction, parties involved, and purpose of the transaction.
Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs)
Cash Threshold Reports (CTRs)
Risk assessments
Compliance procedures
Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 Tax returns and filings
Records of income, expenses, and deductions
Tax compliance certificates and correspondence
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 85 of 1993 OHS agreements and appointment letters
Incident reports
Personal information for workmen’s compensation
Personal information of visitors
CCTV footage
Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of
2004
Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy
Whistleblowing Policy
Gifts and Benefits Policy
Reports on corrupt and fraudulent activities
Code of Conduct
Training reports on Code of Conduct
Tender awards
Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 PAIA Manual
PAIA guides and forms
Voluntarily available information
Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 Document Retention Policy
Data Privacy Policy
Protection of Personal Information
Policy for Employees
Data Subject Access Request Policy
Data Processing Agreements
Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 Learning history reports
Skills development levies
Certificates of completion
Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act 4 of 2002 and
Unemployment Insurance Act 30 of 1996
Tax invoices, credit notes, debit notes
Bank statements, deposit slips
Employee details and employment contracts
Employer registration and contribution records
UIF claims records
Audit and inspection records
Value Added Tax Act 89 of 1991 VAT registration documents
Tax invoices and credit notes
VAT returns and filings
VAT payment records
VAT exemption certificates
Input VAT documentation
Records for cross-border transactions
VAT compliance records

10.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

  Remgro maintains records on the categories and subject matters listed below. Please note that recording a category or subject matter in this Manual does not imply that a request for access to such records would be honoured. All requests for access will be evaluated on a case by case basis in accordance with the provisions of PAIA.

Please note further that many of the records held by Remgro are those of third parties, such as clients and employees, and Remgro takes the protection of third party confidential information very seriously. In particular, where Remgro acts as professional advisors to clients, many of the records held are confidential and others are the property of the client and not of Remgro. For further information on the grounds of refusal of access to a record please see paragraph 11.5 below. Requests for access to these records will be considered very carefully. Please ensure that requests for such records are carefully motivated.

   
Category of records Records
Internal records

The records listed pertain to Remgro’s own affairs

Memoranda and Articles of Association
Financial records
Operational records
Intellectual property
Marketing records;
Internal correspondence;
Service records;
Statutory records;
Internal policies and procedures;
Minutes of meetings;

Personnel records

For the purposes of this section, “personnel” means any person who works for or provides services to or on behalf of Remgro and receives or is entitled to receive any remuneration and any other person who assists in carrying out or conducting the business of Remgro. This includes partners, directors, all permanent, temporary and part-time staff as well as consultants and contract workers.

Any personal records provided to us by our personnel;
Any records a third party has provided to us about any of their personnel;
Conditions of employment and other personnel-related contractual and quasi legal records;
Employment policies and procedures;
Internal evaluation and disciplinary records; and
Other internal records and correspondence.

Client-related records Contracts with the client and between the client and other persons;
Other third party records

Records are kept in respect of other parties, including without limitation joint ventures and consortia to which Remgro is a party, contractors and sub-contractors, suppliers, service providers, and providers of information regarding general market conditions. In addition, such other parties may possess records which can be said to belong to Remgro.

Personnel, client, or Remgro records which are held by another party as opposed to being held by Remgro; and
Records held by Remgro pertaining to other parties, including financial records, correspondence, contractual records, records provided by the other party, and records third parties have provided about the contractors or suppliers.
Other records Information relating to Remgro; and
Research information belonging to Remgro or carried out on behalf of a third party.

11.

REQUEST PROCEDURE

  11.1. Completion of the prescribed form
    Any request for access to a record in terms of PAIA must correspond with the PAIA Form 2: Request for Access to Record and should be specific in terms of the record requested. (See PAIA Form 2 hereto.) A request for access to information which does not comply with the formalities as prescribed by PAIA will be returned to you.

POPIA provides that a data subject may, upon proof of identity, request the Remgro to confirm, free of charge, all the information it holds about the data subject and may request access to such information, including information about the identity of third parties who have or have had access to such information.

POPIA also provides that where the data subject is required to pay a fee for services provided to him/her, Remgro must provide the data subject with a written estimate of the payable amount before providing the service and may require that the data subject pays a deposit for all or part of the fee.

Grounds for refusal of the data subject’s request are set out in PAIA and are discussed below.

POPIA provides that a data subject may object, at any time, to the processing of personal information by Remgro, on reasonable grounds relating to his/her particular situation, unless legislation provides for such processing. The data subject must complete the prescribed form attached hereto as POPIA Form 1: Objection to the Processing of Personal Information and submit it to the Information Officer at the postal or physical address or electronic mail address set out above.

A data subject may also request Remgro to correct or delete personal information about the data subject in its possession or under its control that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date, incomplete, misleading or obtained unlawfully; or destroy or delete a record of personal information about the data subject that Remgro is no longer authorised to retain records in terms of POPIA’s retention and restriction of records provisions.

A data subject that wishes to request a correction or deletion of personal information or the destruction or deletion of a record of personal information must submit a request to the Information Officer at the postal or physical address or electronic mail address set out above on the form attached hereto as POPIA Form 2: Request for Correction or Deletion of Personal Information.

  11.2. Proof of identity
    Proof of identity is required to authenticate your identity and the request. You will, in addition to this prescribed POPIA Form 2, be required to submit acceptable proof of identity such as a certified copy of your identity document or other legal forms of identity.
  11.3. Payment of the prescribed fees
    There are two categories of fees which are payable:
   
  • The request fee: R140
  • The access fee: This is calculated by taking into account reproduction costs, search and preparation costs, as well as postal costs. These fees are set out in PAIA Access Fees.
    Section 54 of PAIA entitles Remgro to levy a charge or to request a fee to enable it to recover the cost of processing a request and providing access to records. The fees that may be charged are set out in the PAIA Regulations.

Where a decision to grant a request has been taken, the record will not be disclosed until the necessary fees have been paid in full.

  11.4. Timelines for consideration of a request for access
    Requests will be processed within 30 (thirty) days, unless the request contains considerations that are of such a nature that an extension of the time limit is needed.

The Information Officer will inform the requester of the decision, and the fees payable (if applicable) on a form that corresponds with PAIA Form 3: Outcome of Request and of Fees Payable promulgated under the PAIA Regulations.

Should an extension be required, you will be notified, together with reasons explaining why the extension is necessary. See PAIA Form 3: Outcome of Request and of Fees Payable hereto.

  11.5. Grounds for refusal of access and protection of information
    There are various grounds upon which a request for access to a record may be refused. These grounds include:
   
  • the protection of personal information of a third person (who is a natural person) from unreasonable disclosure;
  • the protection of commercial information of a third party (for example: trade secrets; financial, commercial, scientific or technical information that may harm the commercial or financial interests of a third party);
  • if disclosure would result in the breach of a duty of confidence owed to a third party;
  • if disclosure would jeopardise the safety of an individual or prejudice or impair certain property rights of a third person;
  • if the record was produced during legal proceedings, unless that legal privilege has been waived;
  • if the record contains trade secrets, financial or sensitive information or any information that would put Remgro (at a disadvantage in negotiations or prejudice it in commercial competition); and/or
  • if the record contains information about research being carried out or about to be carried out on behalf of a third party or by Remgro.
    Section 70 of PAIA contains an overriding provision. Disclosure of a record is compulsory if it would reveal (i) a substantial contravention of, or failure to comply with the law; or (ii) there is an imminent and serious public safety or environmental risk; and (iii) the public interest in the disclosure of the record in question clearly outweighs the harm contemplated by its disclosure.

If the request for access to information affects a third party, then such third party must first be informed within 21 (twenty-one) days of receipt of the request. The third party would then have a further 21 (twenty-one) days to make representations and/or submissions regarding the granting of access to the record.

12.

REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO A REQUESTER ON REFUSAL OF ACCESS

  12.1 Internal remedies
  A requester whose PAIA request for access to information has been refused may lodge an internal appeal by using PAIA Form 4: Internal Appeal Form and submit it to Remgro Legal Department via email to privacy@remgro.com. An internal appeal must be lodged within 60 days after the request was declined. The Legal Department will investigate the reason for refusal and review the decision made by the Information Officer. The Legal Department has 15 business days within which to investigate the appeal. A response will be provided to the appellant within the 15-business day period.
  12.2 External remedies
  A requester that is dissatisfied with the Information Officer’s refusal to disclose information, may within 30 days of notification of the decision, make use of the following mechanism:

  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator by completing the prescribed PAIA Form 5 (Complaint Form) from the Information Regulator’s website and send it to PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.
  • Apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to take the matter further (see section 78 of PAIA).

13.

AVAILABILITY OF THIS MANUAL

  Copies of this Manual are available for inspection, free of charge, at the offices of Remgro at Millennia Park, 16 Stellentia Avenue, Stellenbosch, 7600.

 

Annexure A
Remgro Group Companies:

  1. Remgro Limited
  2. Remgro Management Service Limited
  3. Invenfin Proprietary Limited
  4. Falconair Proprietary Limited
  5. Historical Homes of South Africa Limited

 

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and may be updated from time to time as required.

 

PAIA FORM 1: Request for a Copy of the Guide from an Information Officer [Regulation 3]
PAIA FORM 2: Request for Access to Record [Regulation 7]
PAIA FORM 3: Outcome of Request and Fees Payable [Regulation 8]
PAIA FORM 4: Internal Appeal Form [Regulation 9]
PAIA Access Fees
POPIA FORM 1: Objection to the Processing of Personal Information
POPIA FORM 2: Request for Correction or Deletion of Personal Information