Black elite urged to step up political donations, says SARA President

The president of the South African Rainbow Alliance (SARA) Colleen Makhubele said South African black wealthy business people should feel ashamed that white rich business families such as the Oppenheimer family seemed to donate more to political parties than themselves.

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This comes after revelations that Rebecca Oppenheimer had donated R15m to new political kid on the black Rise Mzansi. Rebecca is not the only Oppenheimer who has donated to local political parties but there have been other family members who have given donations to competing political parties.

A call for black elite to also donate funds

Makhubele challenged black millionaires to also become regular donors to South African political parties.

“The hullabaloo on funding: where is the black business to fund political change? This much ado about nothing on political party funding only reveals that black business in South Africa still remain beneficiary of political influence and not active participants of driving the change that is needed,” Makhubele said in a statement.

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A call for active participation

Makhubele said black businesses should become active participants in the democratic systems of South Africa and show concerns about the future of the country.

“The sad part is that those who need the change the most often have no capital or financial means to force and effect the change they desire. The current ANC tune that we are all dancing to, who paid for it,” Makhubele said.

Makhubele said SARA was concerned that information of the funding of Cyril Ramaphosa’s political campaign to become president of the ANC had still not been revealed. She said it was clear that business plays an important role in South African politics.

“Who funded this piper Ramaphosa with the CR17 campaign? Perhaps indeed it is the funders who pick and fund public representative like Ramaphosa and the likes of Jardine to determine our future in South Africa because they have seen a vacuum in black political funding. The inability of CR17 to unseal the bank statements suggests a much deeper, more dangerous issues in our society, “a straw will show which way the wind blows”,” she said.