SHIRLEY DE VILLIERS: Dirty politics and filthy lucre
ANC’s legislative shenanigans create a hole in party funding law big enough to drive several cash-in-transit pantechnicons through
Ka-ching. Ka-ching. That’s the sound of political parties raking in cash in the absence of any regulations governing party funding — a nifty party trick brought to you by your friendly ANC. Who cares if anonymous donors can throw bags of money at their favourite political parties? What’s a little influence peddling between friends, after all?
The money-go-round is in no danger of winding down soon, either. Some fancy legislative footwork by the ANC means there’s probably at least six months before the president plugs a glaring hole in the country’s political party funding legislation. Just enough time for donors to fund a final pre-election push, in other words, and then to top up depleted party coffers after the poll. It’s particularly helpful if you are, say, a broke party facing its most bruising electoral battle yet...
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