Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs chairperson Mosa Chabane. Picture: Supplied
THE Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs is awaiting a report from the Parliamentary Budget and the National Treasury on the upper limits for, and disclosure of, donations by political parties and independent candidates.
This was revealed by the committee chairperson, Mosa Chabane, when he briefed the media on work done and planned activities of the MPs.
This comes months after the Western Cape High Court found that the Electoral Amendment Act, which took effect in May 2024, was passed without containing both the upper limit and disclosure threshold.
Prior to the amendment, the disclosure threshold was R100 000 per financial year and the upper limit of R15 million per financial year was for donations to political parties.
The new law had required the National Assembly to pass a resolution to enable the president to make regulations relating to those amounts and set out factors to consider in regulating the amounts.
Addressing the media, Chabane said after public hearings on the motion on issues related to the upper limit for donations received by political parties and the disclosure threshold, the committee resolved that the motion be subjected to further scientific study.
“There are two issues emerging from the Electoral Act. There are changes in the formula of funding political parties and the consideration by Parliament to review the threshold and upper limits on donations.”
He said they have received comments from stakeholders, including political parties.
“The committee has not yet deliberated and taken a decision around that matter. The committee took a decision to subject the motion for a further study.
“We have requested the Parliament Budget Office and the National Treasury to investigate further and bring a comprehensive report to the portfolio committee (meeting) which is scheduled on for February 4,” he said.
Chabane also said the committee would deliberate and take decisions that were backed by facts before tabling their recommendation to the National Assembly.
“Finding the right balance, supported by facts between transparency and the needs of political parties to run their political affairs is behind the decision to subject the motion to further scrutiny,” he said.
Meanwhile, the committee has yet to consider a report on the 2024 national and provincial election from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
“We have not yet interacted on that report since elections were conducted in 2024. The reason is that we were not able to get the report is that there are political parties that approached courts contesting the outcomes of the elections,” Chabane said.
He also said they had agreed with the IEC they would not be receive the report until the court cases were finalised.
“Some of the issues to brief the committee and Parliament will arise from the court challenge so we agreed with the commission and raised it with the Speaker that we will not allow the IEC to present the report to the portfolio committee.”
Chabane said they were in consultation with the parliamentary legal services on the pending report in light of the upcoming 2026 local government elections.
“We want a mechanism on how this matter can be managed so that the IEC before they present on local government elections preparations, this matter of the provincial and national elections is presented to the committee.”
Chabane added that they would keep an eye on the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel’s work.
The panel is mandated to assess and remake recommendations on the electoral system the country should adopt for the next general elections in 2029.
He called on the stakeholders and members of the public to engage in the public hearings to be conducted by the panel in the provinces this year.
“We are closely monitoring this engagement and hope the team appointed by Parliament is capable to give a credible outcome. The time will be before the end of May. We call on stakeholders to assist in contributing to this process,” Chabane added.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za