Parliament back to drawing board to fix holes in Political Party Funding Act

CAPE TOWN - It’s back to the drawing board for Parliament to fix the gaps in the Political Party Funding Act after the previous administration removed the limit for receiving donor funding, and the threshold for declaring it.

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said on Thursday that the matter would be returned to the Home Affairs portfolio committee for urgent action.

Last Friday, the Western Cape High Court restored the previous limits in the interim following a challenge by lobby group My Vote Counts.

In the previous administration, opposition parties within the Home Affairs committee warned the African National Congress (ANC) majority that Parliament would be found wanting - if it removed all limits in the Political Party Funding Act until the president determines new ones.

ALSO READ: New administration needs more time to deal with political party funding matter - Didiza

The National Assembly gave the president six months to determine new limits.

However, on Friday the court reinstated the R15 million annual limit for receiving donations - and the R100,000 threshold for declaring it.

On Thursday, Didiza said the Home Affairs committee will now have to move as swiftly as possible to close the vacuum in the law following last week’s court ruling.

"They must then bring the matter to the house for the house to take a resolution. That resolution may change the threshold as it is, or may retain the same threshold, so that’s the process."

The court did not give Parliament a timeframe to address the gaps.

But Didiza said she would instruct the committee to prioritise the matter so it’s tabled before the house by the end of the term.

Had the court not restored the previous limits - it would have meant political parties would not have been compelled to declare any amount of funding they’ve received since the may elections.