Private sector & corruption
SA democracy incorporated: corporate fronts and political party funding
An exposé on party financing in South Africa
Authors:
V. Robinson; S. Brümmer
Publisher:
Institute for Security Studies, South Africa, 2006
This paper explores the issue of corporate party funding in South Africa by uncovering possible links to corrupt transactions between the private sector and the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The paper argues that unregulated corporate funding for political parties allows the wealth to buy political influence leading to the further marginalisation of the poor who are unable to buy such influence.
The paper reviews provides a background to the debate around party financing and discusses specific examples of corruption within South Africa’s two main political parties: the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). In particular, the paper points to how South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment policy has opened up opportunities for personal enrichment.
The paper concludes that unless the fluidity between politics and the private sector is controlled, South Africa will end up on a slippery slope where politicians, government officials and political parties are pawns for wealthy corporate interests, rather than representatives of the people.
