Court ruling on political party funding ‘no bar to drafting disclosure law’
The ad hoc committee on the funding of political parties will continue formulating legislation despite a high court ruling in September. The High Court in Cape Town ordered Parliament to amend the Promotion of Access to Information Act to allow for the disclosure of private political party funding information. The court gave Parliament 18 months to correct inconsistencies in the act. Lobby group My Vote Counts approached the courts, arguing that access to information about a party’s private sources of funding was required for the effective exercise of the right to vote. The group said that disclosure provided the electorate with information on where political-campaign money came from and how it was spent in order to aid voters in evaluating political parties. Parliament’s legal services unit briefed the committee on Tuesday on the effect of the judgment. The unit said that the judgment did not affect the committee’s work. "We shall carry on with our mandate as per the terms of refer...
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