On 28 May 2025, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a virtual launch of the Access to Information in Africa Newsletter. This milestone event provided an opportunity to reflect on the evolving access to information landscape in Africa, celebrating progress, confronting persistent challenges, and identifying strategic priorities for the future.
This special edition of the newsletter features articles by researchers and practitioners across the continent, initially presented during the 2023 seminar marking the 10th anniversary of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. While two years have passed since the anniversary, the Model Law remains a vital instrument guiding national access to information frameworks and implementation efforts.
The event was moderated by Ivy Gikonyo from the Centre for Human Rights. The programme featured opening and welcome remarks by Lloyd Kuveya, the Assistant Director of the Centre for Human Rights; a keynote address by Hon. Commissioner Ourveena Topsy-Sonoo, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa; and Adv. Pansy Tlakula, the Chairperson of the South Africa Information Regulator who provided reflections from oversight institutions. The official newsletter launch was presided over by Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo and facilitated by Hlengiwe Dube of the Centre for Human Rights. Thematic panel presentations explored the impact of Namibia’s Access to Information Act on constitutionalism, the role of search algorithms in shaping access to information, and the effects of misinformation in the digital age. In his reflections, Izak Minaar focused on the recent African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Resolutions on access to data, public interest content, and information integrity. He highlighted their key provisions, the Commission’s evolving approach to freedom of expression and access to information in the digital age, and the expectations these Resolutions set for stakeholders across the continent.
The newsletter provides a rich collection of articles addressing diverse issues, including:
- Regional and country-level assessments of access to information implementation.
- Internet shutdowns and their impact on electoral integrity and freedom of expression.
- The role of emerging technologies and algorithms in shaping access to information.
- Proactive disclosure by electoral bodies.
- The link between access to information and constitutionalism.
- Misinformation, disinformation, and information ecosystems.
- The role of community media and social media in enhancing access.
- Case studies from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Morocco, Sudan, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe.
This event reaffirmed that access to information is not merely a legal formality, it is a cornerstone of democratic governance and integral to the realisation of other human rights. The newsletter can be accessed here:
Watch the Newsletter Launch
For more information, please contact:
Tel: +27 (0) 713362225
henok.kremte@up.ac.za
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4199
Hlengiwe.Dube@up.ac.za
