By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Political parties have accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for changing the funding formula to get a bigger slice of the funding ahead of the elections.
This comes after the National Assembly passed amendments to the electoral laws, including changes to how government funding for political parties is allocated, a move that could trigger court challenges and the delay of a May 29 vote.
The Electoral Matters Amendment Bill was initially aimed at providing state support to independent candidates who can contest provincial and national votes for the first time, but also envisages changes to the formula used to disperse money to parties. An increased share will go to the biggest ones, meaning the ruling ANC will be the main beneficiary while smaller rivals will lose out.
The bill will now be referred to the National Council of Provinces for approval and then referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa to sign into law.
The parties said, the ANC used the guise of independent candidates to change the funding formula. They said in the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill, the ANC changed the funding model from 66.6% proportional representation and 33.3% equitable funding to 90% proportional representation and 10% equitable funding.
“We will wait for the NCOP to adopt it, then we will approach the president not to sign it,” Corne Mulder, the chief whip for the opposition Freedom Front Plus, said by text message. “If he does, then we will go to court.”
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the fourth-largest, expects the vote to be postponed should there be a legal challenge.
“We don’t want a delay to the elections, but it looks like we will have no choice,” said Liezl van der Merwe, that IFP’s chief whip.
She said the ANC has stretched the nature of the work that needed to be done on the bill by making substantial changes.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the bill was an attempt by the ANC to direct more funding to itself.
DA MP Adrian Roos said, the ANC was trying to direct more resources to itself by changing the funding formula.
He added that the Constitution provides for funding to be distributed on an equitable and proportional basis.
“Clause 29 of this bill does exactly the opposite. It increases the proportionality of the party funding allocation from 66.6% to 90% and decreases the equitable allocation, shared equally between all represented parties, from 33.3% to 10%, “said Roos.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) also said it did not support the changes made by the ANC.
UDM chief whip Nqaba Kwankwa accused the ANC of manipulating the process of independent candidates by replacing the 66.6% proportional and 33.3% equitable model to 90% proportional and 10% equitable model.
They said when the bill was brought to parliament for changes following the Constitutional Court judgement the ANC inserted provisions that would give it more access to financial resources.
Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said they had to amend five Acts to cater only for independent candidates.
Parliament on Tuesday passed the the bill.
The previous acts allowed for the funding of political parties and not independent candidates In doing this work home affairs was guided by the Constitution.
If the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill is not signed into law by the President before the elections, or if the threatened litigation unfolds, the 29 May poll remains in jeopardy.