Last year’s local government elections, held on 3 November 2021, yielded results that were disappointing to some, pleasing to others, and unexpected by very few. For the first time in its history of governing the country, the ANC’s voter support dropped below 50%. Overall, the party took 45.6% of the vote, down from 53.9% in Read more >
Posts
OPINIONS
By Kenneth MokgatlheFirst published on EWN As we approach the local government elections, many people are not really worried about who will collect their garbage or which municipality will achieve unqualified audits. Poorer communities are concerned about their dry taps, skyrocketing levels of unemployment, hungry children, and ever-growing corruption without any consequence management in place. Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Aneesa Valodia With local government elections looming on 1 November, political party campaigns are in full swing and official party manifestos are everywhere to be seen. This year 325 parties will contest the election, and their manifestos offer a glimpse of what to expect, empowering voters to make informed choices. Some parties have Read more >
OPINIONS
By Judith February First published on EWN The recent brouhaha regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa and the so-called ‘Bosasa campaign donation’ has again put the funding of political parties in the spotlight. It started when DA leader Mmusi Maimane asked Ramaphosa about a donation of R500 000 he had allegedly received from Bosasa’s Gavin Watson. This Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
Today the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) handed down judgment in the political party funding-related matter of My Vote Counts (MVC) vs the president of South Africa, the minister of justice, and others. The court ruled that voters have the right to be informed about the sources of the private funding of political parties. In delivering today’s Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
This week Corruption Watch made written submissions to the parliamentary ad hoc committee on the funding of political parties, on the draft Political Party Funding Bill of 2017. We expressed concerns mainly around the continued lack of transparency in the private finding of parties. Transparency in party funding prevents and deters corruption and malfeasance, and Read more >
PRESS RELEASES
Corruption Watch, in its oral submission made on Tuesday 15 August to the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the Funding of Political Parties, highlights the importance of ensuring transparency in political party funding, in accordance with global conventions. The organisation focuses on three key topics, namely the nature and scope of disclosures and financial reporting Read more >
CORRUPTION NEWS
By Gary Pienaar and Collette Schulz-Herzenberg First published on Human Sciences Research Council Money plays a fundamental role in a democracy. Political parties need to reach their constituencies and inform them of their policies. Not disclosing private donations can lead to corruption, cronyism and policy capture, but would disclosing donations necessarily increase public trust? In Read more >
NEWS
South Africa holds local government elections in just under two months. Our new three-part series looks at political party funding and the implications of disclosure or non-disclosure of private funding. Part one examines the results of a 2015 global study focusing on the transparency and effectiveness of political finance regimes. In part two we republish Read more >