Following years in the legislating process, the Political Party Funding Act, which garnered both support and rejection by political parties and other sections of society, is finally effective. The act will regulate public and private funding of political parties represented in the national and provincial legislatures.
The Political Party Funding Act prohibits a political party member from receiving a donation other than on behalf of their political party. The act also prevents foreign governments and agencies, organs of state and state-owned enterprises from donating to political parties.
The act will regulate public and private funding of political parties represented in the national and provincial legislatures.
The new Political Party Funding Act comes into effect on 1 April. What does the act aim to achieve and what are the implications for political parties, individual party members and donors?
The act regulates direct private donations to political parties and includes restrictions such as laws barring individual party members from receiving donations.
IEC officials addressed a workshop on the Political Party Funding Act, which comes into effect on 1 April.
The Political Party Funding Act, which was enacted to encourage transparency among parties, kicks in on 1 April.
The bill limits the amount that can be donated to political parties and prohibits donations from foreign governments, agencies, persons and entities.
Under the Political Party Funding Act parties have to transparent about where they get their money from.
Secrecy in the area of political party funding only breeds mistrust and an environment that is ripe for corruption, writes Judith February.
The IEC said that coincided with the start of a new financial year for the public sector and political parties.
The organisation took legal action to ensure that the Bill was signed into law.
The Act, among other things, prohibits donations to parties by foreign governments or agencies, foreign persons or entities, organs of state or state-owned enterprises.
My Vote Counts on Monday said it was signed into law by Ramaphosa in January 2019.
ANC NEC member Phoebe Potgieter-Gqubule said the ANC has over 4,000 branches and this would make it hard to regulate as each branch collects donations.
Business Leadership South Africa’s Busisiwe Mavuso said her organisation supports the draft regulations as these would go a long way in creating ethical leadership.
ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete said the party would raise issues regarding the threshold amount in terms of declaring funding when the party makes its submission today.
While some parties and organisations support the draft regulations making party funding more transparent, others have raised technical concerns.
