Godongwana proposes full public funding for political parties
Speaking at the Electoral Commission of SA's (IEC) inaugural symposium on political funding on Thursday, he said: 'In my view, political parties must be fully publicly funded. Political funding for political parties from the public purse carries with it obligations — there's going to be accountability and transparency. The auditor-general must be able to audit for that accountability.'
Godongwana said there is need for a funding regime that ensures stability, transparency and participation. However, he cautioned that economic challenges and reduced revenue collection could limit the creation of a common public funding pool.
'Between the 2011/12 financial year to date, we've only given R3bn to political parties,' a figure he cited to highlight underfunding of parties.
He also questioned the IEC's role in overseeing political funding, asking, 'Are we not putting the IEC in a position of a conflict?'
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