CAPE TOWN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Parliament on Thursday welcomed a court ruling that political parties must disclose their sources of private funding so as to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Constitutional Court ruled earlier in the day that the 2000 Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) is invalid and unconstitutional as it does not provide for disclosure of information about the private funding of political parties and independent candidates.
The court directs Parliament to amend the Act to bring it in line with the Constitution and to take any other measures it deems appropriate.
"Parliament welcomes this judgment and notes that it, in many respects, accords with the initiative it (Parliament) had already taken in drafting a Political Party Funding Bill which is currently being considered by its Ad Hoc Committee on Political Funding," parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said.
To give effect to this judgment, Parliament will liaise with the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha with the view to facilitate a speedy implementation of the terms of this judgment, Mothapo said.
The new bill is expected to address concerns about over-reliance by political parties on private donations as well as the secrecy that clouds political party financing.
There have been concerns that the secrecy that clouds political party financing could damage democratic processes and lead to a manipulation of public policy positions in favor of certain private funders.
Since the end of apartheid in 1994, political parties in the country have been united in refusing to open their books, fueling perceptions that anonymous donations from masked sources subvert democratic processes, lead to a manipulation of public policy positions in favor of those private interests and dilute the voice of citizens.
Parliament set up a multiparty special committee in July last year to look into the issue.
South Africa's ruling African National Congress has voiced its support for the regulation of private financing of political parties.
The party said political financing must be transparent in a way that will promote and support democracy.
