ActionSA unveils Lobbying Transparency Bill, accuses Executive of sidelining Private Members’ Bills

ActionSA announced a new Lobbying Transparency Bill and criticised what it called a pattern of preferential treatment for Executive-backed legislation while Private Members’ Bills are left without committee consideration. Party leaders presented the proposal and concerns about parliamentary delays during a briefing on Tuesday.

What ActionSA says is wrong with how bills are handled

Speaking at the briefing, parliamentary leader Athol Trollip and parliamentary chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said bills supported by the Executive are routinely prioritised while Private Members’ Bills “gather dust.” Trollip said that all but one of ActionSA’s bills had not received committee consideration.

Trollip said ActionSA’s first bill, the Enhanced Cut Cabinet Perks Bill, introduced in 2025, “has now spent more than a year before committee without receiving a single meeting.” He described that situation as “unacceptable” and said Private Members’ Bills are provided for in the Constitution and should not be allowed to die through parliamentary inaction.

Trollip said the party had formally raised these concerns with the House chairperson and were awaiting a response from the Secretary to Parliament. He added that if the matter is not addressed, ActionSA would “consider every avenue available to ensure Parliament fulfils its constitutional obligations.”

Why ActionSA is proposing a Lobbying Transparency Bill

Ngobeni framed the bill as a measure to protect South Africa from “state capture” by tackling opaque professional lobbying and privileged access to decision-makers. She said South Africans have repeatedly seen the consequences when influence over public decision-making operates in the shadows and listed several scandals by name.

Ngobeni said,

“South Africa has no comprehensive legal framework governing lobbying.”

She added:

“The Lobbying Transparency Bill is about restoring public confidence in democratic institutions. It is about ensuring that influence is exercised openly rather than secretly. It is about strengthening accountability.”

Key measures in the Bill

The bill, as outlined by ActionSA, would include the following measures:

• A mandatory public register of professional lobbyists requiring lobbyists who act for paying clients to disclose who they represent and which public institutions they seek to influence.
• Transparency around engagements with public office-bearers, with lobbying meetings involving ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament and other designated officials to be disclosed along with the legislation, regulations or policy matters discussed.
• Cooling-off periods for former ministers, deputy ministers and senior public officials, proposed at between two and five years, to prevent immediate leveraging of insider knowledge and relationships.
• Oversight and enforcement mechanisms, including reporting obligations, monitoring powers and sanctions for non-compliance. For the most serious breaches, penalties could include fines of up to R350,000 or imprisonment.

Call for public engagement

ActionSA invited contributions to the drafting process and encouraged academics, civil society, business groups and legal experts to engage with the proposal. Ngobeni said details of the Bill were available on ActionSA’s website and invited written submissions to [email protected].

On lobbying and political influence

Trollip stressed that ActionSA is not opposed to lobbying itself, saying lobbyists “play a critical role” but that lobbying should not take place “under a veil of secrecy.” Ngobeni warned that lengthy delays in the parliamentary process risk leaving administrations unaccountable.

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