COSATU Submission: Political Party Funding Bill 13 June 2018

Objectives Welcome Political Party Funding Bill objectives; Crisis of corruption and capture; Crisis of public faith in parties and political system; Many ruling parties today in South Africa at different levels; Fears of intimidation; and Important intervention by Bill.

COSATU Supported Clauses in Bill Equitable and proportional representation based party funding; Prohibitions of funding parties by: Foreign government and state agencies; South African state organs and state owned companies; and Proceeds of crime.

COSATU Supported Clauses in Bill Party funding statements to include all donations and be subject to auditors; Powers of Commission: Access to all party funding information; Powers to subpoena and sanction; Party responsibilities; Commission reports to Parliament; All donations.

COSATU Opposed Clauses in Bill Principle of expanding public funding of parties in climate of austerity, service delivery, and state and SOE job cuts and as a reward to parties not to be corrupt; Section 9 Disclosure of donations to political party; R100 000 threshold.

COSATU Proposed Amendments Delete any threshold for donations that parties are not required to disclose: Delete Section 9 (1) (a); Remove reference to Section 9 (1) (a) in Section 24 (1); and Remove reference to disclosure thresholds in definitions in Schedule 2 (1); and Delete Section 9 of Schedule 2.

Conclusion Support progressive objectives of Bill; Support progressive transparency and accountability clauses; and Support powers and reporting requirements of commission.

Conclusion Oppose expanding public funding of parties; and Oppose and delete disclosure threshold principle and amount.