10th set of party funding disclosures shows that the law needs teeth
1 December 2023
We congratulate the Electoral Commission (IEC) for publishing the quarterly disclosures for the period 1 July to 30 September 2023 in terms of the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA). The publication includes all disclosed private donations to political parties in the period to the value of R100,000 or more.
Prohibited donations
We commend the IEC for calling out the VF+. The party seems to have run afoul of the PPFA on two separate legs regarding a donation from the Taipei Liaison Office; (1) the donation was from a foreign government, and (2) the purpose of the donation was not in line with the law. The PPFA stipulates that donations received from foreign entities must be for skills development, training or policy development. The recognition from the IEC that the donation was prohibited under the law is an important step for enforcement. Despite this it also highlights the need for the Act to be more robust and for it to have more teeth to clamp down on such prohibited donations.
This is the first time that the IEC has noted a donation as having been received from a ‘prohibited donor’, and ‘for a purpose not consistent with the requirements of the law’. Whether this was intentional disregard for the law, an oversight, or poor understanding of its workings, it is imperative that all parties comply with the law. The IEC has noted it will take remedial action against the party.