Political parties have been able to raise millions of rand from private donors with the ANC receiving most of the donation followed by ActionSA and the DA.
The IEC revealed on Tuesday that for the third quarter the ANC received R32 million from funders while ActionSA got R4.6m and the DA R2.9m.
The EFF received R202 000 and the Patriotic Alliance got R247 000 from donors.
Out of all the parties represented in Parliament only the DA, EFF and ANC disclosed their funders.
Both ActionSA and Patriotic Alliance are not represented in the national and provincial legislatures and only expected to contest elections next year.
“ActionSA’s donations were received from three donors, two of whom are regular donors to the party, namely; Martin Moshal (R3.5m) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) NPC (R180 000). The third donor was an entity known as African Equity Corporation (Pty) Ltd, with a donation of R1m,” said the IEC.
“The ANC also received donations from three entities, namely; Batho Batho Trust (R15m), Naspers Limited (R2m) and United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK) (R15m). Both Batho Batho Trust and UMK have in the previous financial year made significant donations to the party.
“With regard to the DA, donations were received from four entities, namely; Fynbos Trust (R 271 000), Ms Karen Cramer (R 250 000), Naspers Limited (R2m) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) (R 400 325.54). Save for Ms Karen Cramer, the three other entities have also made significant donations to the party previously.
“For EFF and the Patriotic Alliance (PA), donations were received from a single donor each. EFF’s donation (R202 600) was received from an entity known as Car Junction, while the PA’s donation (R247 000) was received from one of the national party leaders, Mr Kenny Kunene,” said the IEC.
The law has been forcing parties to make disclosures on their funders every quarter.
The IEC said despite ActionSA and PA not represented in Parliament they had been able to disclose their funders.
The ANC has been proposing to amend the Political Party Funding Act as it would allow it to raise more money.
It said since the law was enacted funding had dried up.
Former ANC treasurer-general and now party deputy president Paul Mashatile first raised the issue about two years ago when the party was facing a cash crisis.
Newly-elected treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa has also brought it back on the agenda saying the party in Parliament must look into changes in the law.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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