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Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties has opened the window for submissions and comments from all stakeholders and interested parties, on the draft Political Party Funding Bill. The committee invites parties to send through their written submissions on the bill from now until the closing date and time of 16h00 on 8 June 2018.
This date and time is also the deadline for participants to indicate their intention to make an oral presentation.
Public hearings will be conducted at Parliament by the committee on Thursday 14 June 2018 and Wednesday 20 June 2018.
Submissions must be directed to the committee secretary:
Ms E Grunewald
Phone 021 403 3843 / 071 363 2257
e-mail egrunewald@parliament.gov.za.
Towards transparency in party funding
In October 2017 Corruption Watch made written submissions on the bill. We expressed concerns mainly around the continued lack of transparency in the private finding of parties. Transparency in party funding prevents and deters corruption and malfeasance, and steps taken to address transparency in party funding are necessary for the protection and promotion of multi-party democracy.
The bill aims to regulate the public and private funding of political parties in respect of the following:
- the establishment and management of funds to fund represented political parties adequately;
- to prohibit certain donations made directly to political parties;
- to regulate disclosure of donations accepted;
- to determine the duties of political parties in respect of funding;
- to provide for powers and duties of the Independent Electoral Commission;
- to provide for administrative fines;
- to repeal the Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act, 1997;
- to provide for transitional matters;
- and related matters.
