The implications of Political Party Funding Act, No. 6 of 2018 in South Africa on records management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
The Political ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Party Funding

Purpose This paper aims to assess the Section 12 of the Political Party Funding Act No. 6 of 2018 of South Africa with a view of recommending good records management practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a literature review and an analysis of political funding access to information and records management literatures. Findings The study found that a lack of good records management practice is hindering transparency in government practice in South Africa. Furthermore, the enactment of the Political Party Funding Act No. 6 of 2018 has created the potential for South Africa political parties to start applying good records management practices. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to Section 12 of the political parties funding Act No 6 of 2018 to promote accountability transparency. Practical implications The effective implementation of the Political Party Funding Act, 2018 will contribute to the preservation of records with financial, historical and cultural values. Social implications The implementation of the Political Party Funding Act No. 6 of 2018 Section 12 is expected to lead an open, transparent and accountable South African society through the establishment of a a records management programme. Originality/value This paper raises important considerations around ensuring compliance and accountability in government recordkeeping within the context of recent legislation. While discussion around the importance and use of records management is not new, the legislation brings an opportunity for fresh discussion within a national political context.

Reconciling access to information and political party funding in Malawi: a comparative analysis of legislation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Mapulanga ◽  
Dorothy Doreen Eneya ◽  
Diston Store Chiweza
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
The Political ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Resource Capacity ◽  
The Government ◽  
Party Funding

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to assess the similarities and differences between the Political Parties and the Access to Information Acts in Malawi. While political parties are largely funded by donations that are frequently kept as a secret, the Access to Information Act does not include political party funding among the categories of non-disclosed information. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the qualitative content analysis of the legislation in Malawi. Content analysis of the two pieces of legislation was adopted. This paper is a review of the literature and an examination of Malawi's Political Parties and Access to Information Acts. The document study was supplemented by a review of related literature on the two legislations. Findings The Political Parties Act prohibits the government, ministries and departments from directly or indirectly funding political parties. The Access to Information Act to ensure information generated by Malawi government ministries, departments and agencies is readily made available by the citizens when needed or requested. The Access to Information Act does not exempt political parties from disclosing their funding sources. The two acts work in tandem to promote accountability and transparency in political party funding and sources. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to Malawi's Political Parties and Access to Information Acts. Only the South African related acts have informed the paper. However, several acts within developing countries would have greatly aided the paper. Practical implications The implementation of the two pieces of legislation has implications for the balance between disclosure and non-disclosure of political party funding. Oversight functions and credible human resource capacity are needed in both political parties and government enforcement institutions. Social implications Oversight functions by the Administrator-General through the Registrar of Political Parties and the Malawi Human Rights Commission are key to the implementation of Malawi's Political Parties and Access to Information Acts, respectively. Proper enforcement of the oversight functions is expected to result in an open, transparent and accountable Malawian society. Originality/value Various players are needed in the accountability chain to protect disclosure and non-disclosure of information. Very little information is known on the powers, functions and duties of office bearers capable of enforcing legislation to keep political parties' funding clean. Little is known on how the citizens can access information regarding political parties funding.

Factors responsible behind political brand preference: an empirical study on Indian voters

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saikat Banerjee ◽  
Bibek Ray Chaudhuri
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
The Political ◽  
Brand Trust ◽  
Political Campaign ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Path Coefficients ◽  
Party Preference ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Political parties are continuously interested to gain knowledge about the factors that influence the voter to select political candidate of his/her choice. The purpose of this paper is to examine cumulative impact of sources of associations on voters’ preference of the political party and to investigate the type of causal relationship that exists among those sources. Design/methodology/approach – The authors have proposed five key sources of associations of the overall political party, namely, campaign effectiveness, image of its leaders, intensity of anti-incumbency effect, meaning and trust attached with the party. Here the authors have considered four important political parties relevant to the voters of West Bengal. Those are Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and All India Trinamool Congress. The authors have used SEM method for estimating the model as the same is widely used for estimating a system of equations with latent variables. Findings – Out of the eight path coefficients six are found to be statistically significant. Political campaign impacts brand trust positively and brand trust in turn impacts party preference positively. Again political campaign’s direct impact on political party preference is found to be positive. However, the impact of political campaign on party preference also runs through brand meaning. Both the path coefficients are significantly negative showing that more the voters develop understanding about political parties through different independent sources lesser are the impact of political campaigns as they highlight positive aspects of the party and the candidate only, ignoring facts. Interestingly leadership is impacting party preference negatively. Thus individual leadership traits have negatively impacted party preference in the sample. Originality/value – In the paper, the authors have identified factors impacting political brand choice in an emerging country like India. This research explores the factors that need to be considered by the political parties to influence preference of voters for political brand. As far as the authors’ knowledge goes no such studies have been carried out in the Indian context and certainly not in the context of a regime change after three decades. Additionally, the theoretical model proposed is firmly grounded in theory and its estimation is based on well-developed scales. The approach is thus unique in this area of enquiry. Finally, application of SEM in political branding context is a significant contribution of this work.

scholarly journals Consequences of (un)regulated party funding in South Africa between 1994 and 2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kealeboga J. Maphunye ◽  
Kgobalale N. Motubatse
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Auditor General ◽  
Party Funding

Globally, the topic of political party funding evokes strongly defended positions, partly because of the nasty dynamics that usually arise whenever money and politics cross paths. The primary issue in contention is whether to institute mandatory disclosure legislation, legally compelling parties to reveal their sources of funding, and the likely consequences of such disclosure. Alternatively, a laissez-faire approach may be adopted to party funding, and to determine which parties to exclude from state or public funding. In South Africa, these issues routinely raise public outcry and result in emotive debates pertaining to the expenditure of public finance and accountability. Thus, this article explores contemporary issues on political party funding in South Africa, focusing on recognised parties and examining their sources of funding. This article examines recent media reports on allegations of a lack of accountability on the part of political parties, particularly their apparent reluctance to disclose their sources of funding. It seeks to contribute to the debate on party funding in South Africa, through the use of a qualitative research method using content analysis. The authors contend that officially recognised parties should be audited by a Supreme Audit Institution (the Auditor General South Africa, locally) prior to tabling their annual reports in Parliament. The article concludes that such audit responsibility should not be given to private audit firms in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest, as some audit firms and individual employees may also be funders of some of the political parties.

scholarly journals The Dichotomy Between Large and Small Political Parties

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 44-62
Author(s):  
Pieter Labuschagne
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Party System ◽  
System Stability ◽  
The Political ◽  
New Parties ◽  
Party Formation ◽  
Political Party System ◽  
New Entrants

This article investigates new political party formation in South Africa within the broader context of voter volatility. The political party system has displayed high levels of stability, but the unrestrained and rampant formation of new political parties that contest in each election could destabilise the system. The number of entrants rose to an unprecedented 28 before the 2019 elections and contradicts the support for older, established parties in each election since 1994. In theory, the within-system stability in South Africa, with an on average 90% voter share between established parties, impedes the scope for the formation of new smaller parties. In reality, support for new parties remains low. This article explores why this does not serve as a deterrent for the formation of new parties. The article shows that despite the increasing number of new entrants, their impact on stability and consolidation in the country is negligible.

Assessing how the South African National Standard 15489 improve the importance and usability of the archive: case of the Universities of Venda and WItwatersrand

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Records Management ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to assess how the South African National Standard (SANS) 15489 improves the importance and usability of the archives at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) and the University of Witwatersrand (WITS). Design/methodology/approach Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to assess how the standards improve the importance and usability of the archives. A total of 34 participants were selected to participate in the study; the choice of the population was because they are responsible for records management decisions in various divisions, departments and units. Data was obtained through structured interviews and observation. The study has established that there was much dissonance concerning records and archives management standards. Ethics approval was obtained from both the WITS and the UNIVEN research department. Informed consent was obtained from university staff members. Findings The research found that only the WITS adopted SANS 15489. This was shown by the availability of a classification system (file plan) and retention schedule while the UNIVEN did not value SANS 15489 standards to manage all records created. Research limitations/implications Although South Africa has 26 public universities, this study is only confined to the UNIVEN and the WITS. The researcher only focusses on the classification of records and disposal of records elements of SANS 15489. Practical implications The findings have practical implications in that they can be used for assessing the archives and records management programmes. Other related universities can also use the findings as a reference point in the planning of university archives and records management programmes. Social implications The findings were to assist the university authorities as decision and policymakers to ensure that records and archives management practices adhere to SANS 15489. Originality/value Few studies related to the assessment of records management programme in universities in South Africa is not yet fully conducted in South Africa public universities. This study could be a valuable input for universities to adopt SANS 15489 standards to develop and implement records management programmes.

Proposal for Improving Records Management Practices of Traditional Institutions in Ga Molepo, South Africa

Mousaion ◽  
10.25159/2054 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-67
Author(s):  
Mahlaga Johannes Molepo ◽  
Linda M. Cloete
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Traditional Institutions

The way in which an institution treats its records is crucial for its survival in a rapidly changing society. The purpose of the study was to investigate the records management practices and challenges faced by traditional institutions of leadership and governance in Ga Molepo, Limpopo, South Africa. The researcher employed a cross-sectional survey in order to quantitatively examine the challenges faced by members of traditional councils. A researcher administered questionnaire was used as a data collection tool to study a stratified sample of 35 members from an estimated population of 350. The findings revealed patterns and trends of non-compliance with records management standards and guidelines. Although there were sporadic cases of record keeping, a greater number of respondents revealed that traditional institutions lack the facilities, equipment, education and trained/skilled personnel to apply correct records management procedures in their daily administration of their traditional communities. The main value of the study is to create awareness of records management as one of the neglected areas in traditional institutions – which are by current legislative arrangement, the closest form of leadership and governance for rural communities in light of their relationship with local municipalities and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Towards the Final Legitimation of the Party

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Ignazi
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Sole Source ◽  
The Political ◽  
Party Formation ◽  
Post War ◽  
Dominant Influence

Chapter 3 investigates the process of party formation in France, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy, and demonstrates the important role of cultural and societal premises for the development of political parties in the nineteenth century. Particular attention is paid in this context to the conditions in which the two mass parties, socialists and Christian democrats, were established. A larger set of Western European countries included in this analysis is thoroughly scrutinized. Despite discontent among traditional liberal-conservative elites, full endorsement of the political party was achieved at the beginning of the twentieth century. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of the interwar totalitarian party, especially under the guise of Italian and German fascism, when ‘the party’ attained its most dominant influence as the sole source and locus of power. The chapter concludes by suggesting hidden and unaccounted heritages of that experience in post-war politics.

Searching for Political Parties in the Past

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Ignazi
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Ancient Greece ◽  
Political Community ◽  
Democratic Politics ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Common

Chapter 1 introduces the long and difficult process of the theoretical legitimation of the political party as such. The analysis of the meaning and acceptance of ‘parties’ as tools of expressing contrasting visions moves forward from ancient Greece and Rome where (democratic) politics had first become a matter of speculation and practice, and ends up with the first cautious acceptance of parties by eighteenth-century British thinkers. The chapter explores how parties or factions have been constantly considered tools of division of the ‘common wealth’ and the ‘good society’. The holist and monist vision of a harmonious and compounded society, stigmatized parties and factions as an ultimate danger for the political community. Only when a new way of thinking, that is liberalism, emerged, was room for the acceptance of parties set.

Varieties of Intra-Party Democracy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin von dem Berge ◽  
Thomas Poguntke
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Party ◽  
The Political ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Rare Exception ◽  
Empirical Analyses

This chapter introduces a new, two-dimensional way of measuring intra-party democracy (IPD). It is argued that assembly-based IPD and plebiscitary IPD are two theoretically different modes of intra-party decision-making. Assembly-based IPD means that discussion and decision over a certain topic takes place at the same time. Plebiscitary IPD disconnects the act of voting from the discussion over the alternatives that are put to a vote. In addition, some parties have opened up plebiscitary decision-making to non-members which is captured by the concept of open plebiscitary IPD. Based on the Political Party Database Project (PPDB) dataset, indices are developed for the three variants of IPD. The empirical analyses here show that assembly-based and plebiscitary IPD are combined by political parties in different ways while open party plebiscites are currently a rare exception.

The Effects of Manifesto Politics on Programmatic Change

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Hennl ◽  
Simon Tobias Franzmann
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Policy Change ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Core Business ◽  
Party Members ◽  
Decision Mode ◽  
Programmatic Change

The formulation of policies constitutes a core business of political parties in modern democracies. Using the novel data of the Political Party Database (PPDB) Project and the data of the Manifesto Project (MARPOR), the authors of this chapter aim at a systematic test of the causal link between the intra-party decision mode on the electoral manifestos and the extent of programmatic change. What are the effects of the politics of manifesto formulation on the degree of policy change? Theoretically, the authors distinguish the drafting process from the final enactment of the manifesto. Empirically, they show that a higher autonomy of the party elite in formulating the manifesto leads to a higher degree of programmatic change. If party members constrain party elite’s autonomy, they tend to veto major changes.

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