South African Political Parties Declare Nearly R200 Million in Donations

In a remarkable display of transparency, South African political parties have disclosed almost R200-million in donations between April and June, as reported by the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). This figure reaches a new peak since the enforcement of the Political Party Funding Act in 2021, which was conceived to promote financial transparency among political parties.

Topping the list of beneficiaries is the Democratic Alliance (DA), which received the highest combined amount of monetary and in-kind contributions valued at R56,601,039. The DA’s monetary donations predominantly came from three individuals – Fynbos Ekwiteit, Fynbos Kapitaal, and Jonathan Oppenheimer – each contributing R15-million. Other notable contributions include R2.5-million from SAFDEV SSDC (Pty) Ltd and R500,000 from Discovery Central Services. Additionally, the DA garnered in-kind donations from the Voices of South Africa Foundation NPC amounting to R8,601,039.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) was not far behind, receiving the second-highest amount in donations, totaling R38,340,000. Prominent individual donors included Jonathan Oppenheimer and Nicholas Frank Oppenheimer, with each providing R15-million. Contributions were also made by Martin Paul Moshal with R7.5-million and both African Rainbow Minerals and Harmony Gold Mining Company donated R420,000 each.

Rise Mzansi, a relatively new entrant in the political landscape, reported third-highest donations at R33,895,000. The party's major financing came from We Are The People and Rebecca Oppenheimer, who each donated R15-million. They were supported by The Tempyr Trust, the Zungu Family Trust, and individual donors like Craig Butters.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) declared R26,015,313 in donations. The Batho Batho Trust was the major benefactor, donating R15-million, followed by the United Manganese of Kalahari and Chancellor House Trust, each contributing R5-million, and a R500,000 donation from Discovery Central Services. The ANC also received in-kind donations worth R515,313 from MTN, which included mobile data, sim cards, minutes, and routers.

Other parties, such as ActionSA, Build One South Africa (Bosa), the Patriotic Alliance, GOOD Party, Economic Freedom Fighters, the South African Rainbow Alliance, uMkhonto weSizwe Party, African Christian Democratic Party, Change Starts Now, and the Independent South African National Civic Organisation, have reported various amounts in donations, ranging from monetary to in-kind offerings from a spectrum of donors including individuals, corporate, foundations, and non-profit organisations.

Of particular note in this round of disclosures is the Multi-Party Democracy Fund receiving R25-million from Exxaro Resources Limited – a donation the IEC praised, encouraging other corporates to contribute to support multi-party democracy in South Africa.

The intricate web of financial contributions unveiled by the IEC underscores the importance of transparency in South Africa's political funding landscape. It also reflects the ongoing commitment of the country's political entities and benefactors to uphold the principles of open and accountable governance.