POLITICAL parties could benefit financially from a resolution taken by the ANC at its elective conference for the state to increase its funding of parties represented in Parliament.
The ruling party has resolved that "public funding (of political parties) be expanded in order to promote and support democracy."
It says such funding should be accommodated by full financial accountability and regulation of private financing of political parties.
But opposition parties have slammed the ANC for attempting to increase the national funding of political parties, arguing that the ruling party was trying to use public funds to fund its own operations.
They also want a review of the funding formula, saying it is heavily biased towards the ruling party.
DA spokesman Cameron Arendse, whose party is facing a donation crisis of its own, said yesterday that increased state funding would be open to massive abuse and would not stop the ANC from "channelling money into its own coffers".
Cope parliamentary leader Mosiuoa Lekota said he was not against an increase in funding but was opposed to the way the money was distributed among parties.
"Too much of the money available goes to the ruling party and a minimum of it to all the rest," Lekota said.
Lekota estimated his party received less than R3-million from Parliament a year.
Freedom Front Plus parliamentary spokesman Pieter Groenewald agreed that the current funding model was flawed in favour of the ruling party.
"The present funding of political parties is unfair," Groenewald said.
He said his minority party was allotted R1.2-million, while the ANC received about R50-million to R60-million, followed by the DA with about R40-million.
"It must be regulated and controlled by legislators. It [legislation] says only a portion has to be equally distributed but it does not say what that portion is," he said.
Parliament spokesman Luzuko Jacobs said the institution had yet to be formally notified of the ANC's resolutions.
He said once submissions were received Parliament would make representations to the national Treasury about additional funding.
The Treasury and the ANC had not responded to queries by the time of going to print.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said increasing funding without changing the way in which it was being distributed was merely enriching the biggest party.
ANC slated over funding
POLITICAL parties could benefit financially from a resolution taken by the ANC at its elective conference for the state to increase its funding of parties represented in Parliament.
The ruling party has resolved that "public funding (of political parties) be expanded in order to promote and support democracy."
It says such funding should be accommodated by full financial accountability and regulation of private financing of political parties.
But opposition parties have slammed the ANC for attempting to increase the national funding of political parties, arguing that the ruling party was trying to use public funds to fund its own operations.
They also want a review of the funding formula, saying it is heavily biased towards the ruling party.
DA spokesman Cameron Arendse, whose party is facing a donation crisis of its own, said yesterday that increased state funding would be open to massive abuse and would not stop the ANC from "channelling money into its own coffers".
Cope parliamentary leader Mosiuoa Lekota said he was not against an increase in funding but was opposed to the way the money was distributed among parties.
"Too much of the money available goes to the ruling party and a minimum of it to all the rest," Lekota said.
Lekota estimated his party received less than R3-million from Parliament a year.
Freedom Front Plus parliamentary spokesman Pieter Groenewald agreed that the current funding model was flawed in favour of the ruling party.
"The present funding of political parties is unfair," Groenewald said.
He said his minority party was allotted R1.2-million, while the ANC received about R50-million to R60-million, followed by the DA with about R40-million.
"It must be regulated and controlled by legislators. It [legislation] says only a portion has to be equally distributed but it does not say what that portion is," he said.
Parliament spokesman Luzuko Jacobs said the institution had yet to be formally notified of the ANC's resolutions.
He said once submissions were received Parliament would make representations to the national Treasury about additional funding.
The Treasury and the ANC had not responded to queries by the time of going to print.
Political analyst Steven Friedman said increasing funding without changing the way in which it was being distributed was merely enriching the biggest party.
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