Funding of Political Parties

Updated July 2007

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Country	Public and private regime
ANGOLA	Public funding of political parties represented in National Assembly dispensed by the National Electoral Commission
	Campaign financing is regulated by Law 7/2004, 17 June (Electoral Law). Section 94, 1, prohibits funding from foreigner and foreign governments and corporations and state organs and corporations
	No other restrictions
BOTSWANA	No public funding of political parties
	Candidate's personal campaign expenses restricted by Electoral Act but not the amount the political parties may spend (Sections 80-89)
	No other restrictions
DRC	No public funding of political parties; it is is enabled but not mandated by law
	Party funding and finances regulated by Law 04/002 2004: Funding from foreign states is outlawed (Section 24). Parties must disclose property ownership to the Minister of Home Affairs, as well as any donations or bequests (Section 23). Parties must submit annual financial accounts to the Minister of Home Affairs (Section 21)
LESOTHO	Public funding provided for campaign expenses. Half the funds are allocated by the Independent Electoral Commission to registered parties and shared equally amongst them, while the other half is distributed to each party in proportion to the number of candidates fielded
	Private funding is regulated by National Assembly Election Order 1992: Funds over M20 000 must be disclosed to the IEC; funds must be paid into a declared campaign transaction bank account (47N).
MADAGASCAR	No public funding of political parties
	No regulation of party income or expenditure
MALAWI	Public funding of political parties that receive more than 10% of the vote (Constitution 1994, 40.2)
	Private funding is wholly unregulated
MAURITIUS	No public funding of political parties
	No limits on party income fundraising
	Party expenditure on candidates restricted by Representation of the People Act (1958, 49-57). In 2005 a party was not permitted to spend more than Rs150 000 on each candidate, while independents were permitted to spend up to Rs250 000
MOZAMBIQUE	Public funding allocated by National Electoral Commission: One-third of to presidential candidates, one-third to political parties in parliament in proportion to the seats held and one-third to parties fielding candidates for parliament in proportion the number of candidates fielded
	Private funding from foreign governments and institutions, companies owned by foreign governments, state structures or state owned companies is prohibited (Law 20/2002, 35.3., 40). Parties, candidates and coalitions that participated must give account of incomes and expenses to the CNE (Law 20/2002, 37, 38)
NAMIBIA	Public funds allocated the parties in the National Assembly in proportion to the votes in previous election
	Private funds recieved must be disclosed (Electoral Act 1992, 46)
	No other regulation of party funding
SEYCHELLES	Public funds are allocated by the Registrar of Political Parties proportionate to the number of votes obtained by a party in previous election. Parties that did not participate in election are also entitled to some funding also (Political Parties (Registration and Regulation) Act 1991, 29(2))
	Private funding is not regulated
	Campaign funds accounting for income and expenditure by candidates regulated by Elections Act, 93-94
SOUTH AFRICA	Public funding is dispensed by chief electoral officer to parties currently represented in national and provincial legislatures (Represented Political Parties Act (1997, 5). Allocated according a formula that takes into account the proportion of members a party has in the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures and a minimum threshold amount to ensure equity (Public Funding of Represented Political Parties Act 1997, 5(2)(a))
	Private funding not regulated
SWAZILAND	There is no public funding for political parties or other regulation of party finance. Political parties were banned in 1973, but unbanned by a High Court order on the basis a clause in the new Constitution guaranteeing freedom of association
TANZANIA	Public funding of political parties abolished in 2000
	No regulation of private fundraising
	Financial control and transparency is regulated by Political Parties Act 1992: Parties are required to disclose all funds received from outside the United Republic (Section, 13(2)). Parties are required to submit annual audited accounts of funds and property to the Registrar (Section 14(1))
ZAMBIA	No public funding of political parties.
	Private fundraising unregulated
	Legal restrictions and transparency: Political parties may be required by the Registrar of Societies to submit the financial accounts of the party for inspection at any time (Societies Act, 19(3), (4), 20, 22)
ZANZIBAR	Autonomous territory within the United Republic of Tanzania. Party formation, registration and regulation are Union matters and regulated by Tanzania national law (see above).
ZIMBABWE	Public funding for political parties with a minimum of 15 seats in Parliament is dispensed by the Minister administering the Act (Political Parties (Finance) Act). In 1998, by order of Supreme Court, formula was altered to provide funding in proportion to share of popular vote from a threshold of 5% of votes cast in the election
	Private funding: Political parties and candidates prohibited from receiving funds from foreign donors (Political Parties (Finance) Act 2001, 6(1))
	Campaign finances of candidates regulated by Electoral Act (2004, 93-101)