Parliament, Thursday 25 July 2019 – The National Assembly plenary sitting today approved a legislative proposal from the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services.
The committee has proposed amending the Promotion of Access to Information Act of 2000 so that it provides for recording, preserving and making information available about private funding of political parties and independent candidates. The Constitutional Court, in its 21 June 2018 judgment, declared the Act invalid because it did not do this and ordered Parliament to make the necessary amendments.
The Bill, which the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services has proposed and which the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development supports, obliges the accounting officer of a political party (defined to include an independent candidate) to create and keep records of any money paid or donated by persons or entities to a political party which is more than R100 000; any money lent to the political party; any money paid on behalf of a political party; assets, services or facilities provided to a political party; and any sponsorships provided to a political party. The records must be kept for at least five years after they have been created.
In terms of Rules 273 of the House, a committee intending to introduce a Bill for the purposes of obtaining the Assembly’s permission should table a memorandum which – sets out particulars of the proposed legislation; explain the objects of the proposed legislation; states whether the proposed legislation will have financial implications for the state and, if so, gives an account of those implications; and sets out the views of the executive on the objects of the proposed legislation.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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