South Africa’s multiparty democracy aims to promote a diversity of political thought and voting options. Underpinning this, Section 236 of the Constitution states, ‘To enhance multi‐party democracy, national legislation must provide for the funding of political parties participating in national and provincial legislatures on an equitable and proportional basis.”¹ The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003), which was ratified by SA in 2005, also calls for signatory states to ‘incorporate the principle of transparency in the funding of political parties’.² In fact though, while the principle of publicly‐funded multiple parties is protected under our Constitution, insufficient amounts are actually made available to enable the parties to function effectively. And, when it comes to transparency, there is no legal requirement upon parties to disclose the sources of their funding, other than the amounts they receive from the public purse. There is no doubt that transparent and publicly accessible information regarding party funding is central to democracy; this briefing paper therefore seeks to provide a concise look at the issue.

Written by Nicolette Peters

Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference
Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO)