Money and politics have long been intertwined, shaping the course of democracies worldwide. Unfortunately, South Africa is no exception to this reality. The corrosive influence of money in our political landscape has been laid bare by the devastating State Capture scandal. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need for change.

OUTA, together with partners like My Vote Counts (MVC) have submitted a proposal on political party funding. We believe it's time to end the era of buying influence within political parties through massive donations. Our democracy deserves transparency and accountability, and we need to uncover the truth behind money in politics, as we explain in the submission. 

Our fight for transparency and accountability continues as we address the critical issue of political party funding. We recently made a significant submission to the Legislative Reform Reference Group of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC), highlighting crucial areas for improvement.

One key recommendation focuses on criminalizing donations made to political parties with the expectation of securing lucrative procurement tenders or contracts. We believe such practices perpetuate corruption and undermine the integrity of our democratic process. Additionally, we raise concerns about the adequacy of funding disclosure thresholds and the annual cap on donations, which require urgent attention.

While the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) was intended to curb undue private influence, it's imperative to acknowledge its limitations and address external threats to its core values of accountability and transparency.

Join us in advocating for stronger laws on political party funding. Click here to delve deeper into our submission and understand the pressing need for reform.

For further insights and research, explore the Civil Society Working Group on Party Funding's submission to NACAC here, as well as My Vote Count's valuable contributions on this critical issue here. OUTA’s research on political party funding can be found here.