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The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has unanimously agreed on a motion to be recommended to the National Assembly on the upper limit for donations received by a political party, and the disclosure threshold for political parties, independent candidates and independent representatives.
 
The committee is confident that the process has produced a motion that strikes a balance between the considerable cost of running political programmes and the need for transparency.
 
Following an intensive process of public consultation and deliberation, the committee resolved to recommend to the National Assembly that the amount referred to in section 8(2) of the Political Funding Act of 2018 (upper limit of donations) be set at R30 million in a financial year and that the amount referred to in section 9(1)(a) (disclosure limit) of the Act be set at R200 000 in a financial year.
 
"This process has been rigorous and involved and recognises the value of public involvement, openness and transparency," said Mr Mosa Chabane, the Chairperson of the committee. "The recommendations made are also evidence-based, and they take into consideration that there was no framework that guided the previous upper limit and disclosure threshold. The resolution we have made today is crucial to bring the threshold in line with inflationary increases over time,"
 
In making the decision, the committee acknowledged that there might be a need to review the Political Party Funding Act, particularly in light of the gaps and shortcomings of the Bill. Also, the committee acknowledged that the unfolding process undertaken by the Electoral Reform Consultation will directly affect the funding of political activities going forward.
 
The Chairperson appreciated the inputs provided by all stakeholders, including the public, the Parliamentary Budget Office, and the Parliament's legal team. "This was certainly an all-hands-on-deck approach, and we are confident that the proposal on the table is measured and achieves the competing goals of openness and fairness," Mr Chabane said.
 
Meanwhile, as part of the public hearings on the Marriage Bill, the committee conducted an unannounced visit to the Department of Home Affairs offices in Umtata, Komani and Gqeberha. The committee raised concerns about the continuing downtime at Home Affairs offices and its impact on service delivery. The committee has resolved to call the minister and senior leadership of the department to find solutions to the continuing challenge.

Issued by the ParliamentaryCommunication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs Mosa Chabane