Johannesburg – On Thursday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa published the second-quarter report on disclosure of donations to political parties.
Section 9(3) of the Political Party Funding Act requires all registered political parties to disclose donations above the R100 000 (by a single donor to a single party in a financial year) to the Electoral Commission.
In turn, the Commission is obliged to publish the disclosed donations.
It also stipulates that no donations greater than R15m in a year can be made by a donor to a political party.
The ANC received donations worth R22.6 million. ActionSA got the second most – R16.9 million – and the DA got the third most, with R16.8 million.
Yesterday, Sunday World reported that former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the donations from the powerful and wealthy family of the Oppenheimers.
Rebecca Oppenheimer, the granddaughter of mining industrialist Harry Oppenheimer and daughter of Mary Slack, pumped over R3,3 million into the coffers of ActionSA on September 16, two months just before the local government elections.
The donation was the second from the family to a political party to be published by the Independent Electoral Commission, in compliance with the recently promulgated Political Party Funding Act.
The second quarter report on funding shows that ActionSA also received R3,3 million from philanthropist Victoria Freudenheim on 17 September while Jessica Slack-Jell – another granddaughter of Harry Oppenheimer – also donated R3,3 million to Mashaba’s party on the same day.
Another big donor to the party this quarter was entrepreneur and philanthropist Martin Moshal, who coughed out R5 million, also on 17 September.
In total, ActionSA’s donation for the quarter came to R16,9 million, which was paid between July and September this year.
Former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the donations from the powerful and wealthy family of the #Oppenheimers https://t.co/1TBWnw4PgJ #HermanMashaba #IEC #ANC #EFF #DA
— Sunday World (@SundayWorldZA) November 18, 2021
The ACDP got R235 000 and GOOD R122 900, which was a donation in-kind for the purchase of a bakkie.
The Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM) got R112 386.04.
Again, the EFF did not declare.
In a statement, the IEC said it was important to highlight that the amount of R112 386.04 AIM’s declaration was for donations received by the party during the first quarter – April to June – but was only declared to the commission in the second quarter.
“Party funding prescripts state that donations received by political parties must be disclosed on a quarterly basis. In this circumstance, the Commission resolved to publish the donations despite their late submission in the spirit of transparency and openness. For corrective action, a directive has been issued against the party as provided for in the legislation,” the statement read.
Parties that fail to disclose
The Commission said, with respect to non-disclosing parties, the prescripts provide that the onus rests on both political parties and entities making declarable donations to their preferred parties to disclose such donations to the Commission.
“The Commission, therefore, entreats all registered parties to ensure that all declarable donations are disclosed. This is a vital component of our political architecture driving openness and transparency in matters pertaining to democracy. Disclosures can only serve to strengthen the informed political choices of citizens”.
Multi-party democracy fund
According to the Commission, Multi-Party Democracy Fund contributions were -again, not enough to reach the minimum threshold of R1 million.
“The commission re-emphasises its call on members of the public, corporates, both local and foreign, and any other entities that may wish to support constitutional imperatives of multi-party democracy to make contributions into the fund.”
The fact that ActionSA was funded by the Oppenheimers left many South Africans debating the issue.
Take a look at how tweeps reacted to the news below:
These are the people who collapsed and the negotiations between Action-SA and EFF. The Oppenheimer criminal syndicate is remaining true to its murderous foundation and nature of political interferences and micromanagement. They now own 3 political parties (anc, da & action-sa). https://t.co/JLSF78fUHb
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) November 18, 2021
Is it safe to say the Oppenheimers were the reason why ActionSA withdrew from coalition talks with the EFF?
Phela there is no free lunch here, who ever feeds you controls you!
— Andi Motsepe (@AndiswaMadikazi) November 18, 2021
The Ruperts & Oppenheimers own the air that we breathe.
— Ankole Hater. (@ZiieRadebe) November 18, 2021
“The Oppenheimer family, businessman Martin Moshal and Naspers collectively donated over R30 million to ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance ahead of this year's local government elections.” Entlek Action SA is an extension of DA since they both receive funding from the Jews.
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) November 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/KETSO_4LIFE/status/1461387446139162629?s=20
https://twitter.com/TheRealPro7/status/1461369885481521157?s=20
Unpopular opinion: EFF policies are more realistic to stop the immigration crisis we having compare to any other party. U can't stop a hungry man they'll rather die trying. Unite Africa. Oppenheimer. #LetsTalkLikeZimbabweans
— AFRICAN (@eNtokozwen) November 18, 2021
To read more political news and views from this week’s paper, click here.
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