Umthetho uthi wonke umuntu unelungelo lokuthola ulwazi
USEMKHULU umsindo eNingizimu Afrika ngamalungelo okuthola ulwazi kulabo abasuke befuna okuthile okuvamise ukuthi kube ngabezindaba. Ilungelo lokuthola ulwazi wonke umuntu analo alisho ukuthi konke kusuke sekuzokwenzeka ngokwezifiso zakhe, njengoba iSigaba 45 soMthetho iPromotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) ukubeka kucace ukuthi lowo osuke enikwe umsebenzi wokugcina ulwazi nokwazisa esikhungweni esithile angakwazi ukunqaba ukuthi kutholwe ulwazi noma amarekhodi ngaleso sikhungo.
Lokho kungenzeka uma kubonakala ukuthi leso sicelo sinokushayisa amanzi noma kuwukuthi ukudedelwa kolwazi kuzodala ukungabi khona kozinzo esikhungweni njengokuthi lolo lwazi lugcine luwele ezandleni ezingalungile. Ecaleni likaBelwana v Eastern Cape MEC for Education and Another; Langeveldt v Eastern Cape MEC for Education and Another ngonyaka odlule.
Kunababili abafaka izicelo zokuthola ulwazi olwalusezandleni zoMnyango Wezemfundo e-Eastern Cape. Izicelo zabo zahlanganiswa zalalelwa ngesikhathi esisodwa. Owokuqala owayefake isicelo kwakunguBelwana owayefake isicelo isicelo sokuba inhloko yezifundo esikoleni sendawo ePort Elizabeth.
Akazange abizelwe inhlolokhono wabe esecela izizathu ezadala ukuthi angabizelwa inhlolokhono, efuna nokwazi ukuthi iluphi uhlelo olwasetshenziswa ukuze angabizelwa inhlolokhono.
Ngesikhathi udaba selusenkantolo wacela ulwazi ngemibuzo eyayibuzwa kunhlolokhono eyenzeka ngaphandle kwakhe.
UMehluleli uStretch wasichitha isicelo sakhe wathi kumele akhokhe nezindleko zecala, emi kwelokuthi isicelo sakhe sasishayisa ngamakhala futhi ayemancane amathuba okuthi singaphumelela.
Ulwazi ayelufuna lalungahambisani nesicelo sakhe, kodwa lwalumayelana nomhlangano okwakungakhulunywa ngisho nangaye kuwo. Lwalumayelana nemibono eyayimayelana nezincomo ngalabo okwakutonyulwe amagama abo futhi bezobizelwa nakunhlolokhono.
UBelwana wayengekho kubantu ababebizelwe kunhlolokhono ngakho sasingekho isizathu sokuthi aze anikezwe ulwazi ngohlelo lonke olwalandelwa.
Udaba lwakhe kwakungelona elokuthi uzobona engcono kunabanye ekuthatheni lesi sikhundla noma wayebona sengathi ukushiywa kwakhe akuqaleni akubanga nabulungiswa.
UBelwana wayengomunye wabantu abaningi ababefake izicelo zalesi sikhundla abanamava nesipiliyoni. Udaba lowesibili owayefake isicelo okunguLangeveldt lwabe lwehlukile. Yena latonyulwa igama lakhe wabizelwa nenhlolokhono waya kuyo kodwa isikhundla sanikezwa omunye umuntu.
Ngenxa yalokho wayenelungelo lokuthola ulwazi ayeludinga njengamaminithi omhlangano weSchool Governing Body, amaminithi okutonyulwa kwabantu ababezoya kunhlolokhono nalabo ababezophonsa imibuzo nokuthi kwakuxhunywana kanjani nabanye ababegaqele lesi sikhundla. ULangeveldt wayenelungelo lokuthola nemininingwane yama memorandum ababethumelelana wona aboMnyango neminye imiqingo eyayimayelana nalo msebenzi. Noma kunjalo, ngenxa yesigaba esiyimfihlo sokuqashwa kwalaba ababezophonsa imibuzo ngesikhathi senhlolokhono futhi nabo abasayina bakuvuma lokho, uLangeveldt wayengeke aluthole lolo lwazi ngoba luvikelekile.
Uma sisuka kulesi sihloko siya kwesithinta abasebenzi nezindawo zokuhlala iSigaba 16 soMthetho iLand Reform (Labour Tenants) Act of 1996 inika abasebenzi abasuke beqashile noma abasebenzi basemapulazini ilungelo lokufaka isicelo sokunikwa isiqeshana somhlaba. UMqondisi Jikelele woMnyango Wezokuthuthukiswa Kwezindawo Zasemakhaya umthetho umnika amandla okuba phambili kulolu hlelo lonke kusuka ekufakweni kwesicelo ngabasebenzi. Ecaleni likaMwelase and Others v Director-General, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and Others langonyaka odlule ababefake isicelo kwakungabasebenzi ababeqashe indawo yokuhlala.
Udaba lwabo baludlulisela kuLand Claims Court ukuze bonke abasebenzi abasesimweni sabo ezweni lonke bahlinzekwe ngendawo yokuhlala. Lokhu bakwenza emuva kokuba uMnyango wathi awukwazi ukucubungula isicelo sabo uze usiphothule. Isikhalo esikhulu kwakungukuthi emuva kweminyaka engama-20 umthetho waqala ukusebenza, kusenezicelo eziyi-11 000 ezingakaphothulwa, amanye amafayela ezicelo engasaziwa nabomnyango bengasakwazi ukuqoqa ulwazi, babike nokuthi yikuphi asebekwenzile baveze nezibalo ezihambisana nalokho.
Kwakuthiwa kungathatha iminyama engama-40 ukuphothula ukucubungula izicelo ezili-11 000. UMehluleli uNcube AJ wakhipha umyalelo wokuba kuqashwe uspecial master ozobheka lolu daba ukuze abasebenzi batholelwe indawo wanquma nokuthi umnyango ukhokhe nezindleko zecala.
Uma eseqokiwe uspecial master kwakumele aqhamuke nohlelo olwaluzoqinisekisa ukuthi isicelo sabasebenzi siyalandelelwa futhi siyaphothulwa.
