By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has published the declaration of political party donations for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.
The report encapsulates the period from 1 January to 31 March 2026.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) declared R57.3 million, followed by RISE Mzansi with R30 million and ActionSA with R9.9 million. The Alliance of Citizens for Change declared R440,500, while Build One South Africa declared R113,794.60.
The IEC said the DA received major donations of between R10 million and R13 million from regular donors including Main Street 1564 Pty Ltd, Fynbos Ekwiteit (Pty) Ltd, Ms M Slack and Fynbos Kapitaal Proprietary Limited.
Other major DA donations included R4 million from G Ryan, R3 million from D Barnes and R1.27 million from the Danish Liberal Democracy Programme.
However, the report’s most significant disclosure is RISE Mzansi’s R30 million declaration, which the party recorded as the conversion of an existing loan into a donation.
ActionSA declared R9.9 million in monetary donations, including R5 million from businessman Martin Moshal, R1 million each from Siyaya Free to Air TV (Pty) Ltd and African Equity Corporation (Pty) Ltd, and about R2.9 million in cumulative donations from party leader Herman Mashaba.
The commission has also flagged several donations linked to the African National Congress (ANC) that had not yet been formally acknowledged or declared by the party at the time of publication, raising concerns over compliance with political funding regulations.
The ANC has also come under scrutiny for submitting two substantial donation declarations after the prescribed deadline.
The late disclosures, valued at more than R10.5 million, include R10 million from Botho Botho Commercial Enterprises and R501,230 from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
The IEC said the details surrounding the transaction have not yet been fully clarified and confirmed that it will engage further with the party to determine whether the arrangement complies with the Political Party Funding Act.
In total, parties reported R94.8 million in direct financial contributions and R2.4 million in donations received through goods and services.
The latest declarations mark the final funding disclosure cycle before voters, head to the polls later this year, placing party finances firmly in the public spotlight.