The Electoral Commission of South Africa has warned that political parties who violate certain sections of the newly promulgated Political Party Funding Act will face hefty fines for committing crimes.
Commission chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said crimes may arise as a result of violating the Act and those involved, upon conviction by a court of law, could be fined or sentenced for a period not exceeding five years or both.
fines ranged from R40,000 to R1 million but the commission could not in itself imposed a fine as that was the competency of a court of law.
the Political Party Funding Act comes into effect on 1 April. 
The Act regulates the funding or donations to political parties and provides for a party to disclose private donations of between R100,000 and R50 million from a single source.
The legislation also established the Multi-Party Democracy Fund to which donations must be made. 
The new fund, to be administered by the IEC, replaced the existing Represented Political Parties Fund, which would cease to exist when the new act come into effect.