PAIA Manual
Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) Manual
Compiled in terms of Section 51 of PAIA
1. Introduction
Powerful Emotions (Pty) Ltd
Trading as RootCalm
Company Registration: 2024/706724/07
VAT Number: 9212625272
This manual is published in terms of Section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 ("PAIA") and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). The purpose of this manual is to inform members of the public of the records held by RootCalm and the procedures to be followed when requesting access to such records.
RootCalm is committed to transparency and the protection of personal information in accordance with South African law.
2. Contact Details of Information Officer
Director / Principal Officer:
Dr. Elizma van der Smit (Clinical Psychologist)
HPCSA: PS 0064793
Information Officer / Deputy Information Officer:
Dr. Elizma van der Smit
3. Guide on How to Use PAIA and POPIA
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has compiled a guide on how to use PAIA and how to exercise rights under POPIA. This guide is available from the SAHRC:
South African Human Rights Commission
Physical Address: Braampark Forum 3, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein, 2017
Postal Address: Private Bag X2700, Houghton, 2041
Telephone: +27 11 877 3600
Website: www.sahrc.org.za
4. Categories of Records Held
RootCalm holds records in the following categories:
4.1 User Records
- User account information (email address, authentication data)
- Assessment responses and results
- Mood logs and journal entries
- Thought records and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises
- Course progress and completion certificates
- Subscription and payment records
- Notification preferences
4.2 Identity Verification Records (court-directed participants)
- Identity document images and selfie/liveness images submitted for verification
- Biometric templates derived from those images, held by our verification processor Sumsub (Sum and Substance Ltd)
- Verification outcomes, timestamps and audit trails used to support court reports and certificates
- Consent records for identity and biometric processing
4.3 Business Records
- Financial records and accounting documents
- Contracts and agreements
- Operational policies and procedures
- Correspondence records
4.4 Technical Records
- Server logs and security records
- Application performance data
- Error logs and debugging information
5. Request Procedure
To request access to records held by RootCalm, please follow these steps:
Complete Form C
Complete the prescribed Form C (available from the Department of Justice website or from the Information Officer upon request).
Submit Your Request
Submit the completed form to the Information Officer via email at support@root-calm.com or by post.
Pay the Prescribed Fee
Pay the applicable request fee and any access fee as determined by the prescribed tariffs.
Await Response
The Information Officer will respond within 30 days of receiving the request (extendable by a further 30 days in certain circumstances).
6. Fees
The following fees are payable in terms of PAIA (as prescribed by Regulation):
* Fees are subject to change as per government regulations. Personal requesters may be exempt from certain fees.
7. Grounds for Refusal of Access
Access to records may be refused on the following grounds as provided for in PAIA:
- Protection of personal information of a third party (Section 63)
- Protection of commercial information of a third party (Section 64)
- Protection of research information (Section 65)
- Operations of the private body (Section 68)
- Legal privilege (Section 67)
- Safety of individuals or protection of property (Section 66)
- Requests that are manifestly frivolous or vexatious (Section 70)
8. Remedies Available if Request is Refused
If your request for access to records is refused, you may:
- Lodge an internal appeal with RootCalm within 60 days of receiving the refusal
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator
- Apply to a court for appropriate relief within 180 days
Information Regulator Contact:
Physical Address: SALU Building, 316 Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria
Postal Address: P.O. Box 31533, Braamfontein, 2017
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
Website: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg
9. Availability of This Manual
This manual is available:
- On the RootCalm website at this page
- Upon request from the Information Officer
- For inspection at the offices of RootCalm during business hours
10. Updates to This Manual
This manual will be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, business operations, or contact details. The date of the last update is reflected below.
Last Updated: 14 September 2026