ConCourt ruling regarding private party funding

30 September 2015

The Office of the ANC chief whip in Parliament welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court to dismiss the case by My Vote Count to compel Parliament to legislate the disclosure of private party funding. We do not believe that the case was brought in good faith and in the interest of ensuring transparency regarding private funding across the board. Unlike My Vote Count, the ANC takes seriously the issue of transparency, openness and accountability regarding private funding not only for political parties but for civil society organisations as well.

The Polokwane conference resolutions directed the movement to champion the introduction of a comprehensive system of public funding of representative political parties in the different spheres of government and civil society organisations, as part of strengthening the tenets of our new democracy. According to the resolutions, this should include putting in place an effective regulatory architecture for private funding of political parties and civil society groups to enhance accountability and transparency to the citizenry. The improvement of the current public funding mechanism would enhance our democracy and limit undue influence of private donors. These are the issues the ANC is currently seized with and they will be thrashed out at the National General Council scheduled for next weekend.

Statement issued by the Office of the ANC chief whip, 30 September 2015