‘Examine party funding’

NOT ENOUGH: ANC SAYS R150M SPLIT BETWEEN PARTIES IS ‘PITTANCE’

Chief whip Mthembu says party wants donations to be declared.

The ANC in parliament has called for a parliamentary enquiry into private financing of political parties. Briefing the media in parliament yesterday, ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the R150 million split between the parties was simply not enough.

“R150 million is a pittance. Communications [for the ANC] costs R200 million. That excludes staff payments, accommodation and travel,” he said.

The ANC caucus would be pushing for an ad hoc committee to declare that all donor funding to all parties be declared.

It would request an ad hoc committee be convened to legislate and regulate that private donations be transparent and it was fundamental that this happens.

Mthembu said public funding of political parties created the represented political parties’ fund, which was administered by the Independent Electoral Commission.

“Since the establishment of the fund, allocations have barely kept pace with inflation. In the 201718 financial year, public funding amounts to just under R150 million and is proportionally allocated to political parties.

“In addition to this fund, members of legislatures are funded by the respective institutions. Both monies from the fund and the legislatures may only be used for specific activities and must be accounted for,” said Mthembu, adding that the amounts allocated were “negligible”.

Even the ANC would have to come clean as to where its private support money came from.

Mthembu said local funding should be transparent and regulated, although “foreign funding should be permitted, but must be regulated to avoid abuse and manipulation by external forces in the political affairs of our country”. Asked what the ANC needed, Mthembu said he wasn’t in a position to answer. He said the ANC in parliament would table a motion in terms of the National Assembly Rule 256 (1)(b) to establish an ad hoc committee on party funding.

This would also address concerns by civil society on the lack of transparency of party funding.

“Our proposals form part of the ANC’s programme to strengthen democracy, build accountability and ensure political parties achieve financial sustainability in a manner that is transparent,” said Mthembu. – co.za