By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) released its First Quarter Disclosure Report for the 2023/24 Financial Year covering the period of 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2023.
It is IEC ninth report since the Party Funding Act came into operation.
According to the report, four political parties made funding declarations during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
“The value of donations is significantly higher for the reporting period in comparison to previous quarters. Pertinently, the value of declared donations is the second-highest of the nine reported to date,” it said.
“This is the second-largest amount declared, out of nine, since the implementation of the Party Funding Act in 2020. The highest was R 60.2 million declared in the second quarter of the previous financial year.”
The African National Congress (ANC) declared a R20 million donation, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) R22 901 161.09.
Other political parties that made declarations was ActionSA, which received R12 164 160.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) made a first-time declaration of R2 million.
This donation was sponsored by online gambling businessman Martin Moshal, who previously contributed to ActionSA.
Other late declarations from BOSA were from Hlumelo Biko, who was listed as its former chief executive, who donated R100 000.
Billionaire Robert Hersov donated R100 000 to BOSA, and an entity called RTH Investments donated R100 000.
The most significant chunk of the DA’s donations was from Fynbos Ekwiteit, linked to Capitec founder Michiel le Roux.
The businessman has made significant donations to the DA in the past, with similar contributions above R10 million previously reported by the IEC.
Other donations to the DA were from an unknown entity called Main Street 1564 at R5 million and from a G Ryan at R2 million.
The DA also declared R221 161.09 from its regular German-based donor, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Two-thirds of the ANC’s donations were received from Batho Batho Trust at R15 million and the remainder was received from Chancellor House Trust at R5 million.
Batho Batho Trust donated R15 million to the ANC in the third quarter of the previous financial year.
“Both these entities are regular donors to the party.”
ActionSA’s largest (60%) donation was received from Victoria Freudenheim at R7.2 million, who has previously made a significant donation to the same party.
Two other large donations of R2 million each were received from the Solomon David Group (Pty) Ltd. The other came from party leader Herman Mashaba, made in two tranches.
Style Eyes of California (Pty) Ltd, another regular donor to the party, made a donation of R700,000 during the reporting quarter.