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Govt drops ball on Covid-19 relief promises, says BJC

The supplementary budget announced by Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on 24 June 2020, including a revised fiscal framework and spending plans, reveals that only R36-billion of the much lauded R500-billion economic relief package is new money allocated in the fiscus this financial year. According to Budget Justice Coalition (BJC), this is not even close Read more >

Lockdown causes funding challenges for organisations

By Thato Mahlangu Organisations that rely on individual donations and funding are also economically impacted by the scourge of Covid-19. The Abraham Kriel Children’s home, situated in Modimolle (formerly Nylstroom), was established more than 60 years ago. It’s one of many organisations that won’t get funding during the pandemic. The organisation, which is home to Read more >

BJC disappointed by Mboweni’s bleak budget

The 2020 budget proposals risk further harm to the economy by slashing funding for socio-economic development. The minister of finance, Tito Mboweni began his 2020 budget speech with a return to the analogy of the resilient aloe ferox that “survives and thrives when times are tough”. The Budget Justice Coalition (BJC) contends that while the Read more >

“We need to know who funds which party”

By Thato Mahlangu Asking political parties to openly say who funds them could be a fruitless exercise, said political analyst Dr. Ralph Mathekga, as political parties don’t want to voluntarily name their funders. Mathekga speaking at a panel discussion held on Wednesday 06 November 2019 at the Constitution Hill mentioned how it was a challenge Read more >

Swift action needed on party funding bill

By Judith February First published on EWN The recent brouhaha regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa and the so-called ‘Bosasa campaign donation’ has again put the funding of political parties in the spotlight. It started when DA leader Mmusi Maimane asked Ramaphosa about a donation of R500 000 he had allegedly received from Bosasa’s Gavin Watson. This Read more >

Political party funding to become more transparent

Today the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) handed down judgment in the political party funding-related matter of My Vote Counts (MVC) vs the president of South Africa, the minister of justice, and others. The court ruled that voters have the right to be informed about the sources of the private funding of political parties. In delivering today’s Read more >

CW makes parly submissions on political party funding

This week Corruption Watch made written submissions to the parliamentary ad hoc committee on the funding of political parties, on the draft Political Party Funding Bill of 2017. 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 Read more >

CW calls for transparency in political party funding

Corruption Watch, in its oral submission made on Tuesday 15 August to the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties, highlights the importance of ensuring transparency in political party funding, in accordance with global conventions. The organisation focuses on three key topics, namely the nature and scope of disclosures and financial reporting Read more >

Cleaning up political party funding

South Africa holds local government elections in just under two months. Our new three-part series looks at political party funding and the implications of disclosure or non-disclosure of private funding. Part one examines the results of a 2015 global study focusing on the transparency and effectiveness of political finance regimes. In part two we republish Read more >