Following a failure by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ & CD) to comply with an Enforcement Notice to submit proof of the renewal of security licences, in contravention of various sections of the Protection of Personal information Act (Popia), the Information Regulator has ordered the department to pay an administrative fine of R5-million.

The Information Regulator said in a statement on Tuesday that the impetus of safeguarding the department against security breaches was viewed as a necessity therefore the renewal of security licences was paramount.

The department was given 31 days to provide proof of the renewal. This period lapsed on June 9.

“The Enforcement Notice had required the DoJ & CD to submit proof to the regulator within 31 days of receipt of the Notice that the Trend Anti-Virus licence, the Siem licence and the Intrusion Detection System licences had been renewed,” said Information Regulator communications manager Nomzamo Zondi.

The Information Regulator has also alluded to the requirement that the department institute disciplinary hearings against the officials who had failed to renew these licences.

The department has 30 days to make arrangements to pay for the administrative fine from July 3. A failure to do so will result in court action being taken by the Regulator.