It was recently reported that the ANC Treasurer-General, Gwen Ramakgopa submitted proposals to amend the disclosure thresholds and donation limits of the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA). The party has for years had issues paying staff salaries, for example, and have cited the PPFA as hampering its fundraising efforts. These finance problems arose way before the implementation of the PPFA in 2021.

The party already recognised that its finances were worrying at its 2017 conference, when the Treasurer-General reported that they faced a tax bill of R80 million.

At the recent 2022 conference, the party had admitted that:

• Its heavy reliance on private donor funding is a threat to its overall sustainability.

• When private entities fund political parties, they do so to serve their own interests.

• Some private donors have funded the party with an expectation to receive benefits through corruption.

• Political parties exist as public entities.

The PPFA aims at unveiling the mask of secrecy around private party funding that is needed to ensure an accountable political system. Amending the Act  to increase the disclosure and maximum donation thresholds, wholly undermines the purpose of the Act.

We believe that the ANC should rather place its focus on improving public funding to political parties as a way to break away from its private donation reliance. We have recently published a position paper and opinion piece about public funding which investigates its many benefits.

3rd quarter party funding disclosures for 2022/2023 financial year

The IEC has released the newest batch of private party funding disclosures as per the Political Party Funding Act. We note and commend the IEC’s timeous release of this information. MVC has been monitoring the disclosures and some of the same names have reappeared as donors of political parties. Donors like Martin Moshal who has donated to ActionSA in previous quarters, United Manganese of Kalahari who has once again donated R15 million to the African National Congress, as well as Naspers and Fynbos Trust who have both donated to both the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance as they did in previous quarters.

You can view the disclosures including past disclosures on the IEC website.

A ‘one-member-one-vote’ system could help ANC deepen its internal democracy

Currently, the ANC (and most parties in South Africa) makes use of a delegate system for internal voting. However, at the recent ANC conference, a ‘one-member-one-vote” system was proposed.

The proposed rule, as contained in an official ANC document from the conference, reads as follows:

Proposed new rules internal one member one vote electoral system for REC’s, PEC’s and NEC

4.9 All elections of the NEC, PEC, REC and BEC of the ANC shall be guided by the rule of “one member in good standing one vote”.

4.10 This rule shall come into effect by the way of passing of a resolution by the NEC once all measures have been out in place to ensure that it is fully functional and after thorough consultation with structures.

This proposed rule could ensure a more equal say in the party and deepen its intra-party democracy.

Our Senior Researcher, Joel Bregman wrote on this for the Sunday Times which will be published soon. Look out for it on our website and social media channels.

We will soon have a new electoral system

On 23 February, the National Assembly finally passed the Electoral Amendment Bill and has sent it to the President to sign into law by 28 February — at least 15 months from the next general election. (The general election should be held within 3 months of the last election which was on 8 May 2019).

Although there are still some flaws to the Bill, the 2024 election will go ahead with an electoral system that is (somewhat) fair to all those wanting to contest. We now wait and see how the 2024 elections will proceed with independent candidates being able to contest for the first time.

Listen to our Electoral Systems Researcher, Letlhogonolo Letshele react to the passing of the Electoral Amendment Bill in Parliament.

Staying with the IEC, they have recently put out a call for candidate nomination for a new Commissioner. MVC can confirm that Vice-Chairperson, Janet Love’s term will come to an end this year. She is however still able to reapply and go through the selection process along with other candidates.

As previously done in 2018 and 2022, My Vote Counts will ensure that the IEC Commissioner selection process is open to the public. We have written to the Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, to request for the livestreaming of the interviews. Stay tuned to our social media channels for more information on this.

Coming up soon…

On 8 March our Executive Director, Minhaj Jeenah will be speaking at the amaBhungane Townhall titled: New dawn, New disappointments: voting reform, power shifts, state failure and the prospects for political renewal in 2024. It takes place at 18:00 at Bertha House, 67 Main Road in Mowbray, Cape Town.

Until next month…