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5th ParliamentConcluded

Party Funding Committee

Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties

Chair: Vincent SmithEst: 1 March 2018National Assembly Rule 253

Explain like I'm 10

Before this committee, political parties could receive donations from businesses and wealthy people in total secrecy. Nobody knew who was paying for political campaigns — which meant businesses could secretly buy influence. The Constitutional Court said this…

In plain English

Before this committee, political parties could receive donations from businesses and wealthy people in total secrecy. Nobody knew who was paying for political campaigns — which meant businesses could secretly buy influence. The Constitutional Court said this was unconstitutional. This committee wrote the law that forces parties to disclose who gives them money.

Legal framing

To introduce and process legislation requiring disclosure of private funding sources of political parties, in response to Constitutional Court rulings that the absence of such legislation was unconstitutional.

Mandate

To introduce and process legislation requiring disclosure of private funding sources of political parties, in response to Constitutional Court rulings that the absence of such legislation was unconstitutional.

Announced1 March 2018
First meeting
Concluded7 December 2018
Report adopted7 December 2018
Category
Legislation

Processing or creating a new law.

Linked laws

Outcome

What happened

Produced the Political Party Funding Act 6 of 2018, which came into force in 2021. For the first time, parties must disclose donations above R100,000. The My Vote Counts case that forced this committee into existence is a landmark in South African transparency law.

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