S. African parliamentary committee approves political funding bill

CAPE TOWN, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- An ad hoc committee of the South African parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to regulate funding for political parties.

In the Political Party Funding Bill of 2017, the committee recommends that the Represented Political Party Fund and the proposed Multiparty Democracy Fund be managed by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Under the bill, the two funds should be managed by a separate business unit with its own chief executive.

The ad hoc committee, established by the National Assembly in June 2017, was charged with inquiring into and making recommendations on the funding of political parties represented in national and provincial legislatures, with a view to introducing amending legislation, if required.

It was to consider a model of public and private funding for political parties and the desirability of regulating private funding in all its forms, including investment entities owned by political parties.

Having reviewed the Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act of 1997 and its regulations, the committee has recommended for a repeal of the existing legislation and has developed a new framework to address the weaknesses identified.

The 1997 act is seen as inconsistent with the constitution and invalid as it does not allow for disclosure of private funding information.

The committee will table its report to the National Assembly on Nov. 30 for a debate and declarations, said Vincent Smith, the committee's chairman.

The new bill is expected to address concerns about over-reliance by political parties on private donations as well as the secrecy that clouds political party financing.

These concerns have fueled perceptions that anonymous donations from masked sources subvert democratic processes, lead to a manipulation of public policy positions in favor of those private interests and dilute the voice of citizens.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, political parties in the country have been united in refusing to open their books.

Currently political parties are not required to declare sources of their funds or how they use their money.

In September, South Africa's Western Cape High Court ruled that political parties must disclose their sources of private funding so as to ensure transparency and accountability.

The court gave Parliament 18 months to rectify the "inconsistencies" in the existing act.

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has voiced its support for the regulation of private financing of political parties.

The party says political financing must be transparent in a way that will promote and support democracy. Enditem