State to scrutinise parties’ spending

NAMIBIA’S political parties will continue to spend taxpayers’ money without accounting for it until next year when some restrictions are to be introduced, National Assembly Speaker Dr Mose Tjitendero said.

The parties received about N$50 million in the past four years, and are expected to get nearly N$16 million in the current financial year ending March 31. Tjitendero said only with the new parliament next year would Government require parties to show how they used the money.Namibia is one of 14 African countries that give State funding to political parties.The financing was introduced at least 10 years ago, but Tjitendero said rules and regulations are to be discussed by all political parties only this year.”The money is meant to strengthen the party and to build capacity in the National Assembly.”Tjitendero said in an interview on Tuesday that parties rely only on private auditors to scrutinise their accounts.They then report to the National Assembly “under general categories”.”We will put restrictions on how the funds are used,” he said, adding that political parties seemed to be under the impression that public funds should be used in any way they deemed necessary for the organisations.Until next year, State funding will remain unregulated once the money has been transferred to the political parties.The money has in some parties led to fights among colleagues accusing one another of using the funds for private purposes.Nearly all Government money is subject to an audit by the Auditor General.An official from the Office of the Auditor General said yesterday that they did not have the “mandate to audit” the use of money handed to parties.”Our mandate stops where the money leaves the State [coffers].When the funds are transferred from central Government into the political party’s account, it is seen as a private account,” said the AG’s staff member.A lack of oversight extends to general funding for political parties.This, despite repeated attacks from the Swapo leadership that political opponents receive money from “imperialists”.The Electoral Act appears to be the only law that regulates the financing of parties, but only deals with foreign funding.The law requires that any party getting money from a foreign source must publicly disclose the financing.But a grey area remains, for instance when a foreign company operating in Namibia gives money to political parties, as happened last month in Keetmanshoop.The South African electricity company SELCo gave N$28 000 to Swapo, the UDF, the DTA and the Republican Party to help pay for their municipal elections.SELCo, which has faced allegations of bribing councillors to get favourable electricity and water deals in southern Namibia, defended the foreign donation saying: “All countries in Southern Africa are dependent on one another… the prosperity of each country directly impacts on neighbouring countries, and therefore one needs to take a view on Southern Africa as a whole.”Allen van Zyl, who represents SELCo in Keetmanshoop, declined to give a detailed response to questions sent to him, saying he was unable to get his colleagues in South Africa.The law is also unclear about how exactly parties should disclose the funding or within what time.In June last year Swapo called a press conference to announce that it had received US$30 000 (about N$240 000 at the time) from the Chinese Communist Party to pay for the printing of material for the extraordinary congress held last month.Swapo Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange pointed out at the time that there was nothing wrong with funding parties as long as the money was not meant to “destabilise the country”.Yesterday the Congress of Democrat’s Nora Schimming-Chase echoed that sentiment, saying donations should be aimed at strengthening democracy, should not have “strings attached” and should be transparent.Schimming-Chase complained however that the CoD was often accused of receiving foreign funds “but the money does not reach us”.She welcomed moves to have State financing of parties audited and the result publicised because “it is public funds”.Government funding in Namibia goes only to parties represented in the National Assembly.Tjitendero said the representation in the National Council, Namibia’s less powerful chamber of parliament, will attract funding for parties from next year on.According to a Cabinet decision, State funding could go up to a maximum of 0,2 per cent of Government revenue for the previous financial year.The money transferred to each party is based on the number of votes received in the last elections.Five political parties will have received nearly N$53 million in three years by the end of the current financial year.N$15,9 million has been budget for 2004-2005, which ends in March.Financial Year — 2002-2003 — 2003-2004 Swapo — N$13,7 million — N$14,6 million DTA-UDF — N$2,2 million — N$2,4 million CoD — N$1,7 million — N$1,9 million Monitor Action Group — N$316 077 — N$284 710As in many other countries in their control of the State, Namibia’s ruling party already has a lucrative source of funding, an issue that draws criticism from opposition parties every time elections are held.Tjitendero said only with the new parliament next year would Government require parties to show how they used the money.Namibia is one of 14 African countries that give State funding to political parties.The financing was introduced at least 10 years ago, but Tjitendero said rules and regulations are to be discussed by all political parties only this year.”The money is meant to strengthen the party and to build capacity in the National Assembly.”Tjitendero said in an interview on Tuesday that parties rely only on private auditors to scrutinise their accounts.They then report to the National Assembly “under general categories”.”We will put restrictions on how the funds are used,” he said, adding that political parties seemed to be under the impression that public funds should be used in any way they deemed necessary for the organisations.Until next year, State funding will remain unregulated once the money has been transferred to the political parties.The money has in some parties led to fights among colleagues accusing one another of using the funds for private purposes.Nearly all Government money is subject to an audit by the Auditor General.An official from the Office of the Auditor General said yesterday that they did not have the “mandate to audit” the use of money handed to parties.”Our mandate stops where the money leaves the State [coffers].When the funds are transferred from central Government into the political party’s account, it is seen as a private account,” said the AG’s staff member.A lack of oversight extends to general funding for political parties.This, despite repeated attacks from the Swapo leadership that political opponents receive money from “imperialists”.The Electoral Act appears to be the only law that regulates the financing of parties, but only deals with foreign funding.The law requires that any party getting money from a foreign source must publicly disclose the financing.But a grey area remains, for instance when a foreign company operating in Namibia gives money to political parties, as happened last month in Keetmanshoop.The South African electricity company SELCo gave N$28 000 to Swapo, the UDF, the DTA and the Republican Party to help pay for their municipal elections.SELCo, which has faced allegations of bribing councillors to get favourable electricity and water deals in southern Namibia, defended the foreign donation saying: “All countries in Southern Africa are dependent on one another… the prosperity of each country directly impacts on neighbouring countries, and therefore one needs to take a view on Southern Africa as a whole.”Allen van Zyl, who represents SELCo in Keetmanshoop, declined to give a detailed response to questions sent to him, saying he was unable to get his colleagues in South Africa.The law is also unclear about how exactly parties should disclose the funding or within what time.In June last year Swapo called a press conference to announce that it had received US$30 000 (about N$240 000 at the time) from the Chinese Communist Party to pay for the printing of material for the extraordinary congress held last month.Swapo Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange pointed out at the time that there was nothing wrong with funding parties as long as the money was not meant to “destabilise the country”.Yesterday the Congress of Democrat’s Nora Schimming-Chase echoed that sentiment, saying donations should be aimed at strengthening democracy, should not have “strings attached” and should be transparent.Schimming-Chase complained however that the CoD was often accused of receiving foreign funds “but the money does not reach us”.She welcomed moves to have State financing of parties audited and the result publicised because “it is public funds”.Government funding in Namibia goes only to parties represented in the National Assembly.Tjitendero said the representation in the National Council, Namibia’s less powerful chamber of parliament, will attract funding for parties from next year on.According to a Cabinet decision, State funding could go up to a maximum of 0,2 per cent of Government revenue for the previous financial year.The money transferred to each party is based on the number of votes received in the last elections.Five political parties will have received nearly N$53 million in three years by the end of the current financial year.N$15,9 million has been budget for 2004-2005, which ends in March.Financial Year — 2002-2003 — 2003-2004 Swapo — N$13,7 million — N$14,6 million DTA-UDF — N$2,2 million — N$2,4 million CoD — N$1,7 million — N$1,9 million Monitor Action Group — N$316 077 — N$284 710As in many other countries in their control of the State, Namibia’s ruling party already has a lucrative source of funding, an issue that draws criticism from opposition parties every time elections are held.