My Vote Counts bemoans delay in implementing law to regulate political funding

19 January 2021 - 07:40 By ernest mabuza
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
My Vote Counts has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking for an explanation of the delay in the implementation of the Political Party Funding Act.
My Vote Counts has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking for an explanation of the delay in the implementation of the Political Party Funding Act.
Image: Facebook/My Vote Counts

It is close to two years since the Political Party Funding Act was signed into law, but no date has been gazetted for the promulgation of the law.

The act was hailed as a critical tool in curbing corruption and questionable donations to political parties.

My Vote Counts said it has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa urgently requesting reasons for the unjustifiable delay in the promulgation and implementation of the party-funding law, as well as the Promotion of Access to Information Amendment Act.

My Vote Counts has also asked for an indication of when these laws would come into effect.

In their letter to the president, the organisation said the rights of SA citizens to make political choices and to participate in elections were being infringed by the delay in the coming into force of the legislation.

“There has been an unreasonable delay in implementation of this critical legislation,” the letter to the president read.

It said it was imperative that both laws were urgently implemented and that a timeline was adhered to and no further delays were permitted.

“We are yet to receive a response from the president, and have requested a response by January 22 2021,” the organisation said. January 21 will be two years since Ramaphosa signed the PPFA into law.

My Vote Counts said on the one-year anniversary of the PPFA being assented to, it had written to Ramaphosa requesting that a date be gazetted for implementation of the act, but no response had been received.

But the organisation said it was hopeful after it was reported last week that the PPFA would be implemented on or before April 1.

“This is a crucial step towards transparency in the funding of our politics and will positively strengthen the country’s political accountability and transparency framework.”

In November, Ramaphosa told parliament that he was being lobbied to consider changes to the law, and said this was the reason its implementation date had been delayed.

Ramaphosa informed parliament that  several stakeholders both within and outside the government had approached him with proposals on how the act should be further amended before it could come into effect.

TimesLIVE


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now