WHEREAS the Constitution establishes the basic principle of multi-party democracy;

AND WHEREAS section 236 of the Constitution, in promotion of that principle, requires national legislation to provide for the funding of political parties participating in national and provincial legislatures on an equitable and proportional basis to enhance multi-party democracy;

AND WHEREAS effect is to be given to section 236 of the Constitution through money made available to those political parties from a fund created by law for that purpose;

AND WHEREAS the money so allocated is to be utilised by parties for purposes arising from their functioning as political parties in a modem democracy;

[Preamble substituted by General Laws Amendment Act, 2008, by section 6 of Notice No. 20, GG31787, dated 9 January 2009]