The Democratic Alliance has pulled out of talks to design a framework governing political donations, sparking an attack from the Institute for Democracy in SA (Idasa) over the party’s ”superficial” commitment to democracy, Business Day reported on Friday.
This year, Idasa failed in a court bid to force parties to disclose the sources of donations they receive, but parties and business have since been in talks aimed at drawing up a blueprint for regulating donations.
On Thursday, Idasa head Richard Calland told a conference on donations that the DA withdrew because they did not see it as being in their individual interest.
Calland said this showed that the DA’s commitment (to democracy) was as superficial and disingenuous as it was rhetorical.
Idasa said there was an urgent need for rules over donations as secrecy allowed business to buy influence.
However, DA MP Ryan Coetzee said his party withdrew because Idasa had not been able to get the ANC (African National Congress) interested.
The DA was in favour of transparency, but only if it applied to everyone.
But Calland said the ANC was very involved in the process.
”Initially, the ANC did not want to be part of discussions during the court case, but has since [been] engaging with us.”
ANC head of policy Michael Sachs attended the conference, and Kings College Professor Keith Ewing will meet ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday to discuss donations.
Calland said the DA’s explanation was a smokescreen and that they believed the process was not in their interest.
The remaining minority parties on Thursday presented a new framework on how to manage donations. – Sapa