Elections for sale: is party funding a necessary evil?

How will new legislation on party funding affect South Africa’s political landscape?

Date: 2017-10-31

Time: 18:00 to 19:30

Venue: 6 Spin Street, Cape Town

RSVP: Helen Chanda, Phone: +27 12 346 9500, Email: [email protected]

South Africa finally has a draft bill to regulate private funding to political parties. As Parliament takes public comment on the draft bill, the Western Cape High Court ruled that the Promotion of Access to Information Act is unconstitutional as it doesn’t provide for the regulation of private funding to political parties.

What are the key elements of the draft bill and what impact might it have on South Africa’s political landscape? This seminar builds on ISS’ work on party funding, specifically the paper, Elections for sale: Political party funding – a necessary evil?, which formed part of a project on corruption in Africa.

The paper will be available at the seminar.

This seminar is co-hosted with the Goedgedacht Forum for Social Reflection.

Chair: Judith February, Senior Research Consultant, ISS

Speakers:

Vincent Smith, ANC MP and chair of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on party-funding

Bantu Holomisa, President, United Democratic Movement & MP

Janine Ogle, Co-ordinator, My Vote Counts

Alf Lees, DA MP and member of Parliament's ad hoc committee on party-funding