The Electoral Commission has announced public hearings into the draft regulations for the Political Party Funding Act (Act 6 of 2018) in Cape Town on 1-2 August 2019.
The hearings follow the publication of draft regulations for comment between 1 and 21 March 2019. According to the IEC, approximately 4 300 written submissions were received.
The Political Party Funding Act regulates the public and private funding of political parties, in particular:
- Providing for the establishment and management of Represented Political Parties’ Fund and a new Multiparty Democracy Fund;
- To prohibit certain donations made directly to political parties;
- To regulate disclosure of donations accepted;
- To determine the duties of political parties in respect of funding;
- To provide for powers and duties of the Commission;
- To provide for administrative fines;
- To repeal the Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act, 1997; and
- To provide for transitional matters.
“The Draft Political Party Funding Regulations 2019, read in conjunction with Schedule 2 of the Act, are intended to give effect to these provisions and cover all chapters of the Act except Chapter 5 which deals with enforcement and which is intended for implementation in a later phase,” the IEC said in a statement.
In April 2019 the Commission postponed the implementation of the first phase to allow time to process the large number of written submissions and to allow further opportunity for engagement through public hearings. The postponement had also taken into consideration the capacity demands on the Electoral Commission, political parties and other stakeholders during the National and Provincial Elections 2019, the IEC said.
“Following the success conclusion of the elections and a high-level analysis of the thousands of written submissions received, the Electoral Commission is now in a position to proceed with the finalisation of the regulations and the implementation of the Act in a phased approach,” said Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo.
The Electoral Commission has written to key stakeholders including all represented political parties, a number of civil society organisations, business associations and those persons who made substantive written submissions inviting them to attend the hearings.
Anyone wishing to make an oral submission at the hearings is requested to advise the Electoral Commission of their intent via email at RanyaneB@elections.org.za by no later than 24 July 2019.
For more information contact Boitumelo Ranyane via email RanyaneB@elections.org.za or on 012 622 5209. Copies of the Act and the draft regulations are available at http://www.elections.org.za/content/Documents/Laws-and-regulations/Political-Party-Funding/Government-Gazette—Invitation-to-make-representations-in-respect-of-proposed-regulations-for-Political-Party-Funding-Act-No_-6-of-2018/
The provisions of the current Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act, 103 of 1997 remain valid until the new Political Party Funding Act is promulgated.
