South Africa - Johannesburg - 27 May 2024 - Vote2024 - The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) national results operation centre at the Gallagher convention centre in Midrand. Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
POLITICAL parties have declared more than R170 million in donations for their political activities ahead of the elections today.
The Electoral Commission (IEC) has released its published declarations report detailing which political parties attracted the most donations to their purse for the 2023/24 financial year.
Political parties in South Africa are obliged to disclose donations they have received above R100,000 as well as who funded them.
“The total declared value of donations has for the very first time since the inception of the Party Funding Act (which requires donation declarations over a certain threshold) surpassed the R100 million mark in any one quarter,” said the IEC.
Releasing the data on Friday, the IEC said R100,000 was cumulative and should be declared immediately when the total value reaches R100,000.
The report revealed that the DA was number one on the list with the highest amount of donations.
The party received R65,011,359 for the quarter received from Naspers Limited, Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (R2,520,000) and the Oppenheimer family.
Second on the list was Change Starts Now (CSN) with R35,820,000. The party had, however, since announced it would not be contesting the 2024 elections.
The IFP came in at number three on the list which declared R20 million in party donations from the Oppenheimer family.
The ANC came in at number four, raking in nearly R17 million.
Number five was ActionSA with funding of over R10 million.
The EFF declared an amount of R2,640,000.
Umkhonto weSizwe Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, did not disclose their donations.
Able Leadership - R300,000
ActionSA - R10,525,000
ANC - R16,782,000
African Transformation Movement - R120,000
Change Starts Now - R35,820,000
DA - R65,011,359
EFF - R2,640,000
Independent South African National Civic Organisation - R1,599,000
IFP - R20,000,000
Patriotic Alliance - R1,030,000
Rise Mzansi - R15,100,000
United Democratic Movement - R750,000
Vryheids Front Plus - R169,600
The Star