ANC to fight bid by lobby

THE ANC and Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha will fight a Cape Town-based lobby group’s Constitutional Court bid to force all political parties represented in parliament to reveal their private funders.

The My Vote Counts group, represented by top law firm Webber Wentzel, wants the country’s highest court to declare that parliament has failed to pass a law forcing political parties to reveal their private funders and must direct it to do so.

“The application is otherwise unopposed, as the only other parties who noted their intention to oppose it, Masutha and the ANC, have not filed affidavits,” reads the written arguments filed at the Constitutional Court.

The respondents opposing the application have until January 13 next year to file their written arguments.

National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise said My Vote Counts’ claim was unambiguous and only based on an allegation that parliament had failed to fulfil its constitutional obligation.

Mbete and Modise have already filed an affidavit opposing the application, which will be heard in February next year.

The ruling party’s chairwoman and Modise, its former deputy secretary-general, have both been cited as respondents in their capacities as the presiding officers of parliament’s two houses.

President Jacob Zuma, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa and Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba are also cited as respondents.

Among My Vote Counts’ reasons for going to court is that “there is no legislation requiring disclosure of the sources and sums of money donated privately to political parties, whether before, during or after election”.

My Vote Counts’ Nontsikelelo Baqwa did not respond to requests for comment yesterday. —