By Simon Nare
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has recommended that the public should be involved in the determination of the amount of donations political parties should disclose.
During a house sitting, the committee unanimously resolved that a proposed draft motion to regulate the maximum amount of a donation that can be accepted and the threshold amount of donations that must be disclosed, must undergo a public participation process to ensure that it is reflective of the will and views of the people.
In a statement released by the committee, it highlighted the importance of public participation in line with Section 59 (1) of the Constitution that compels the National Assembly to facilitate involvement in its processes.
The committee said the draft motion tried to remedy a lacuna in the Electoral Matters Amendment Act of 2014 as confirmed by the Western Cape High Court judgment in the matter of My Vote Counts NPC v The President and others.
“The draft motion proposes that, in terms of Section 24 of the Act, the president as soon as reasonably possible, makes regulations regarding the amounts contemplated in Section 8(2) and 9(1)(a) of the Act in accordance with the process set out in that Act,”
the statement said on Tuesday.
Further, it said, the president in that regard should consider amounts set by items 7 and 9 of Schedule 2 to the Act prior to its amendment by the Electoral Matters Amendment Act 2024 (Act No. 14 of 2024).
In doing so, the president should consider the amount referred to in Section 8(2) which capped the donations to be disclosed by political parties to R15 million in a financial year and the amount referred to in Section 9(1)(a) of the Act which is R100,000 in a financial year.
The committee will in due course inform the public about avenues that the public can contribute comments to the draft motion.
INSIDE POLITICS
