ActionSA believes it is extremely disconcerting that the political parties represented in the National Assembly continue to vote for and receive increased funding whilst vital public services and organisations face budget cuts. 

Currently in the parliamentary system is the Second Adjustments Appropriation (2023/24 FY) Bill [B6 – 2024], which, if approved, will increase the amount allocated to political parties through Represented Political Parties' Fund for the 2023/2024 financial year to R850 million.

Over the last few years, political parties in the National Assembly have decided to use more tax payer money to fund their campaigns. The amount allocated to the Represented Political Parties' Fund over the last few years is as follows:

2020/2021 – R162 million; 

2021/2022 – R169 million; 

2022/2023 – R342 million; 

2023/2024 – R850 million. 

The increase over the four years is R688 million or a staggering 424%.

It must also be noted that political parties also receive direct funding through the various provincial legislatures which takes the total funding to which political parties benefit from taxpayers to the tune of R1.5 billion.

This 424% increase over four years has come at a time when vital government services are being cut back due to budget cuts. This includes funding to NGO’S which are facing cuts in the subsidies received from Provincial Departments of Social Development. 

These NGO’s provide services to the most vulnerable including the aged, disabled, orphaned and abandoned children. It is unacceptable that the funding to these organisations is being cut whilst funding to political parties is being exorbitantly increased.

What is disturbing is that none of the political parties in the National Assembly have spoken against the increased allocation. Instead, they have argued how their spoils are to be allocated amongst themselves. 

Many of these parties talk about clean governance and integrity, yet they are happy to abandon the most vulnerable in our society. 

ActionSA believes that there is a huge conflict of interest in that political parties can vote on increasing the funding to the Represented Political Parties' Fund and ultimately to themselves. 

Rather, ActionSA would propose that Parliament should amend the Party Funding Act to devolve decisions on party funding rather to an independent panel. These amendments should include both a maximum cap on party funding over 5-year term, and that such an independent panel should determine the share parties receive from the national fiscus as stipulated in section 236 of the constitution. 

ActionSA will be immediately writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting that he does not sign the Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill into law and in doing so we will stress the plight of those impacted by budget cuts whilst political parties get increased funding. 

 

Issued by Team FixSA Member: Finance Alan Beesley