ERRATA

Erratum: Response to letter regarding 'Cyberattack on the National Health Laboratory Service of South Africa - implications, response and recommendations

S Cassim^I; Z.S Chapanduka^II

The authors wish to clarify a statement made in SAMJ correspondence,^[1] regarding the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) exemption under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).^[2]

The statement that the 'NHLS did indeed secure an exemption from the Information Regulator' was a direct quotation from the NHLS executive leadership at the time of writing. However, subsequent clarification from NHLS legal advisor, Adv. Thandeka Cele, stated that while the NHLS did submit an application for exemption in terms of section 37 of POPIA, the Information Regulator, in its official response dated 30 October 2024, did not grant the exemption. The Regulator concluded that, based on the nature and context of NHLS's processing of personal information, the NHLS already complies with the conditions for lawful processing as contemplated in POPIA. The Regulator further stated that the NHLS 'need not have applied for exemption', indicating that the exemption sought was unnecessary as the NHLS's existing processing activities met POPIA's compliance thresholds.

References

1. Cassim S, Chapanduka ZC. Response to letter regarding 'Cyberattack on the National Health Laboratory Service of South Africa - implications, response and recommendations.' S Afr Med J 2025;115(5):e3101. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2025.v115i5.3101        [ Links ]

2. Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/3706726-11act4of2013protectionofpersonalinforcorrect.pdf (accessed 24 June 2025).         [ Links ]