CAPE TOWN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services on Wednesday adopted the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) Amendment Bill designed to regulate political funding.
The bill provides for any registered political party as defined in the Electoral Act, irrespective of whether it has representation in the national, provincial or local government, to keep records and provide such records, Committee Chairperson Bulelani Magwanishe said.
In terms of recording, preservation and disclosure of records on the private funding of political parties, the obliges the head of a political party to create and keep records of any donation exceeding the prescribed threshold that has been made to that political party in any given financial year, the identity of the persons or entities who made such donations.
Recipients of political funding must make the records available on a quarterly basis, as prescribed and keep the records for a period of at least five years after the records concerned have been created, according to the bill.
All submissions, irrespective of oral or written, were taken into account, according to Magwanishe.
The bill will likely be debated by the National Assembly next week, he said.
This came after a number of politicians have been under the spotlight for receiving "controversial" political funding.
Last year, the Constitutional Court ruled that the 2000 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. Enditem
