Open and transparent government and a free flow of information concerning the affairs of the state is the lifeblood of democracy. That is why the Bill of Rights guarantees to everyone the right of access to ‘any information that is held by the state’,1 of which Ngcobo J said the following in Brümmer v Minister for Social Development:2

‘The importance of this right ... in a country which is founded on values of accountability, responsiveness and openness, cannot be gainsaid. To give effect to these founding values, the public must have access to information held by the State. Indeed one of the basic values and principles governing public administration is transparency. And the Constitution demands that transparency ‘must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information.’’