Party funding: DA gets biggest donation – including R15m from Oppenheimer – as MK party makes first declaration

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that political parties have declared nearly R200 million in donations.

On Friday, the commission issued its first quarterly report, revealing that 14 parties disclosed donations received between April 1 and June 30 this year, in compliance with the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA).

IEC reveals political party donations

The Democratic Alliance (DA) received the highest amount of donations of all parties, declaring R56.6 million (R56 601 039) for the second quarter in a row, according to the commission.

“In total, a combination of monetary and in-kind donations valued at R56 601 039 was reported by the party. Two separate donations totalling R8 601 039 were in-kind,” the IEC said in a statement.

The DA received a R15 million donation from South African businessman and conservationist Jonathan Oppenheimer as per the declarations.

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The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Rise Mzansi declared R38.3 million (R38 340 000) and R33 million (R33 895 000) respectively.

Jonathan Oppenheimer also donated R15 million to IFP, while the party got the same amount from Nicky Oppenheimer.

Rise Mzansi received R15 million from another Oppenheimer family member, Rebecca, a frequent donor to various political parties in the country.

The African National Congress (ANC) received the fourth-highest donation with just over R25 million (R26 015 313).

MK party’s first declaration

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party disclosed its donations for the first time ever, declaring a total of R380 000 (R380 555).

Other parties declared the following:

• ActionSA – R13 186 000 (R186 000 of which was donated by the party’s leader, Herman Mashaba)
• Build One South Africa (Bosa) – R12 877 709
• Patriotic Alliance (PA) – R6 649 900 (R5.1 million came in the form of multiple donations from an entity owned by the party’s leader, Gayton McKenzie)
• GOOD Party – R600 000
• Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – R515 313
• South African Rainbow Alliance (Sara) – R400 000
• African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) – R240 000 (All of the donations were received in monetary terms and were from companies associated with South Africa’s mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe)
• Change Starts Now – R150 000 (The total amount was received from the party’s founder and leader, William Rodger Jardine)
• Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Isanco) – R100 000

The IEC noted that the Multi-Party Democracy Fund (MPDF) received one contribution in the form of R25 million from mining company, Exxaro.

The money was disbursed to represented political parties at the start of the second quarter in July 2024.

Electoral Matters Amendment Act

Several provisions of the PPFA were amended following the enactment of the Electoral Matters Amendment Act, which was signed into law three weeks before the general elections on May 29.

These amendments included the elimination of the R100 000 threshold for declaring donations to the IEC and the removal of a R15 million cap on the amount a single donor can contribute to parties in a given year.

“The net effect of these amendments was that both the upper limit of donations and the disclosure threshold were repealed and therefore no longer extant,” the statement further reads.

According to the act, Parliament must first pass a resolution setting the disclosure threshold and upper donation limit before the president can make a final determination and issue a proclamation.

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However, the National Assembly did not specify any amounts when it passed the resolution on 16 May.

The IEC noted that the gap was temporarily addressed by the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town in a ruling delivered on 16 August.

The court reinstated the repealed provisions of the PPFA, effective until the National Assembly and President Cyril Ramaphosa established new thresholds and upper limits.

My Vote Counts previously indicated that the organisation will supplement its May 2023 court application to have the parts in the Electoral Matters Amendment Act related to party funding declared unconstitutional and invalid.