The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) has filed its responding affidavit in the legal case that it brought against South Africa’s four major political parties to compel them to disclose their sources of private funding.
Last week the Mail & Guardian reported on the affidavits filed by the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the New National Party.
The affidavits all indicated their refusal to disclose their funders as it would threaten the country’s multiparty democracy. Private donors might fear prejudice from the ruling party in the awarding of government contracts, for example. This would inhibit the ability of smaller parties to perform their democratic functions.
Idasa’s affidavit, filed on behalf of Richard Calland, the Idasa Right to Know programme manager, says: ”In recent weeks, major corporate donors have on their own initiative publicly disclosed donations made and substantial new donations are being made. Minority parties are not losing out. On the contrary, promoting multiparty democracy is a key stated objective of the corporate donors … [Also,] donors would be protected by disclosure as any naked or illegitimate preferences shown by government by bidding for government business would be revealed…”
Anglo American, Standard Bank, Liberty Group, Kumba Resources, Anglovaal Mining, Sanlam, Absa Bank, MTN, Anglo American Platinum Corporation Limited, Gencor Limited and Sappi have all made public their donations to political parties, which total more than R18-million.
The four political parties also said that the threshold of declaring donations larger than R50 000 was arbitrary. But Idasa’s affidavit responds: ”It also stands to reason that, given the socio-economic conditions of South Africa, most individuals will be unable to make a donation of greater than this amount in their personal capacity … In the case of substantial donors, the importance of disclosure outweighs any privacy interest.”
Idasa rejects the ANC’s claim that donors do not influence party policies: ”It is plainly unrealistic to suggest that the safeguards referred to could ever effectively prevent this [donors influencing party policy] from occurring.” It says most NEC members are those holding high political office including most members of the Cabinet.