(3) Subsection (1) shall not apply to the results of product or environment testing carried
out by or for a public body, unless the testing was done—
(a) as a service to a person, group of persons or organisation who paid a fee for such
service; or
(b) for the purpose of developing methods of testing.
20 Protection of research information
The head of a public body shall not disclose research information to the applicant if such
disclosure will result in the loss by the researcher of the right of first publication of the results of
such research or any intellectual property rights.
21 Protection of information relating to conservation of heritage sites
(1) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose information to an applicant if the
disclosure will result in damage to, or interference with the conservation of—
(a) fossil sites, natural sites or sites that have an anthropological or heritage value; or
(b) an endangered, threatened or vulnerable species, subspecies or race of plants,
vertebrates or invertebrates; or
(c) any other rare or endangered living species.
22 Protection of information relating to personal or public safety
(1) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information, including
personal information about the applicant, if the disclosure will result in a threat to another
person’s safety, mental or physical health or interfere with public safety.
(2) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant personal information
concerning the applicant if such disclosure will result in a threat to the applicant’s safety or
mental or physical health.
23 Information otherwise available to public
(1) The right of access to information in terms of section five shall not be held to be denied
where under this Act or any other law the head of a public body refuses to disclose
information—
(a) that is otherwise available to members of the public upon payment of a specific fee; or
(b) that will be published or released to members of the public within sixty days of the
date of receiving the applicant’s request.
(2) If the head of a public body refuses to disclose information on the ground referred to in
paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and the information is not published after the expiry of sixty
days from the date of receiving the request for the information, the applicant may make another
request for the information and the head of the public body shall reconsider it.
24 Protection of information relating to business interests of a third party
(1) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information that will
reveal the trade secrets or commercial, financial or employment, scientific or technical
information of a third party that was supplied, implicitly or explicitly, in confidence to the
public body, and the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to—

14

Select target paragraph3