03 Dec 2024

Government is committed to political party funding as per the commitment made in the past, Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa has told Parliament.

The minister who was answering a question in Parliament said further logistics would be determined by the availability of funds as advised by the Ministry of Finance.

Further, he said the Ministry for State President had scheduled an All Party Conference meeting on December 5 with the primary aim, among other things, being to provide feedback on the political party funding model as provided for in the Political Party Funding Act no 13 of 2024.

He stated that the All Party Conference would provide input and feedback on the proposed model as per the Act.

Mr Mohwasa said as per the Act, the secretary should disburse the first installment of the money immediately after the general elections and thereafter, at the beginning of each financial year, adding that the arrangement was still government’s position.

The minister further said Political Party Funding Act no 13 of 2024, stated that monies paid to qualifying political parties in terms of the Act should be monies appropriated by the National Assembly for the purpose of funding political parties.

He said the monies appropriated for the purpose of funding political parties in terms of Section four of the act, should be allocated to qualifying political parties as follows, (a) 50 per cent of the money shall be disbursed amongst qualifying political parties which have received at least five per cent of the total number of votes cast, in the immediate proceedings general elections,

 (b) 50 per cent of the money shall be disbursed to qualifying political parties, on the basis of the number of National Assembly seats won by the political parties in the immediately preceding the elections.

Furthermore, he said the disbursement of the 50 per cent of the money under (2) (a) should in the case of a National Assembly seat occupied by a female member of a qualifying political party, be calculated using 30 per cent and (b) in the case of a National Assembly seat occupied by male member of qualifying political party be calculated using 20 per cent.

Mr Mohwasa also said the government could not commit to the timing of the financial disbursement to political parties and to specific amount that each party would be given at this juncture.

He said release of funds had been submitted to the Ministry of Finance and it was being processed in accordance with the provisions of the act as well as how much the government could presently afford.

The minister further assured the House that the secretary of the Independent Electoral Commission should disburse the monies to which a qualifying party was entitled to under this section in equal installments as soon as the Ministry of Finance approved the submission for the approval of the funds.

Mr Mohwasa was answering a question without a notice from Maun East MP, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile who wanted the minister to brief Parliament on preparations being made to fulfil the government’s obligations to Political Party Funding Act principles. He wanted to know if the ministry still subscribed to paying immediately after elections and if so, the minister should provide timelines.

Mr Kekgonegile also asked whether the ministry still upheld the formula prescribed in the act, if not, what were the changes to be made, when would they be made, which political parties were to benefit and how much each would benefit. Ends