R2K calls for Parliament to end secret funding of political parties

On Tuesday 15 August, R2K will call on Parliament to end the climate of secrecy around political parties’ finances. On Tuesday afternoon, R2K will make present its submission to Parliament’s committee on party funding regulation.

For years, all major political parties have refused to disclose anything about their finances to the public. We therefore welcome Parliament’s decision to start working on these long overdue reforms.

The lack of transparency and regulation on private donations to political parties has allowed corruption to thrive and undermined democracy.

R2K estimates that for every R1 of public funds provided by the IEC, political parties could be getting R5 or R6 from private sources which are never declared to the public. Ordinary South Africans are being outbid by wealthy individuals, corporations and even foreign governments – with no transparency or regulation.

R2K believes that political parties should be making regular financial reports to the public, not only on what money they get, but also on how that money is spent.

That is why R2K has called for a ‘moment of truth’ from our political parties – in our submission we have called on the political parties to publish their financial records once and for all. We believe this step is crucial to the reform process. Otherwise Parliament will be forced to legislate without any actual information about parties’ income and spending.

Our members of Parliament now face a historic opportunity to end the legacy of secrecy around money and politics, and move South Africa forward.

R2K will continue to work with My Vote Counts to raise public awareness of how money and secrecy shapes our politics and mobilise for a more transparent and responsive democracy.

Find Right2Know’s full submission here.