Party funders to be revealed

Political parties may now have to divulge who their private funders are as they head to the 2019 national elections.

This is after parliament yesterday adopted the Political Party Funding Bill, saying transparency is key in a constitutional democracy. “The regulation of political party funding is key to our constitutional democracy and will improve transparency, accountability and fairness in party funding,” a parliamentary statement said.

The Bill will now go to the National Council of Provinces for consideration. It proposes “regulating and making transparent private donations to political parties represented in parliament and the provincial legislatures”.

It is the culmination of extensive public consultation, involving written submissions and public hearings. “In June 2017, the National Assembly resolved to establish a multiparty ad hoc committee to inquire into and make recommendations by November 30, 2017, on the funding of political parties represented in parliament and the provincial legislatures.

“On November 28, 2017 the committee tabled the Political Party Funding Bill in the Assembly and recommended that parliament pass it. The Bill lapsed at the end of 2017.”

On February 28, the Bill was revived and the committee re-established to report in more detail on the financial implications.

“In this report, the committee proposed no amendments to the Bill tabled in November.” – Citizen reporter