DA rakes in R104m as IEC probes ANC’s funding compliance

The DA has raked in more than R104 million in donations for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, accounting for nearly 89% of all political funding disclosed.

At the same time, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has issued a warning to the ANC over serious compliance failures with donations worth R15.27 million.

The declarations, published by the IEC for the period 1 April to 30 June 2026, come shortly after the proclamation of 4 November 2026 as the date for the Local Government Elections (LGE2026).

The IEC said the formalisation of the election date “provides certainty to political parties, donors and other stakeholders” and is expected to drive increased fundraising and campaign expenditure.

The DA declared R98 million.

The value and concentration of donations recorded during the quarter are notable given the proximity of the local government elections, the IEC noted.

ActionSA declared R5.5 million, including R5 million from Martin Moshal and R500 000 from Siyaya Free to Air TV (Pty) Ltd.

The IEC flagged a compliance issue with Siyaya’s disclosure: “While ActionSA has made its declaration, the corresponding declaration by the donor remains outstanding.”

Labour Party of South Africa, launched by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), declared R5 million from AMCU.

RISE Mzansi declared R2.25 million, comprising R1.25 million from Ungani Investments (Pty) Ltd and R1 million from Captrust Investments (Pty) Ltd.

According to the IEC, the ANC also reported late declarations from the 2025/26 financial year, including donations from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Botho Botho Commercial Enterprises, Valumax Projects, and Batho Batho Trust, which failed compliance tests due to late reporting and missing documentation.

The IEC confirmed the ANC has been issued with a section 15 direction to address deficiencies, warning that failure to comply could trigger sanctions.

These include withholding future allocations from the Political Representatives Fund and Multi‑Party Democracy Fund, or referral to the Electoral Court for possible penalties.

The IEC stressed that transparency in political funding depends on “accurate, complete, timely and verifiable disclosure.”

With the election date set, the Commission said it anticipates increased fundraising and expenditure on advertising, campaigning, voter mobilisation and political events.

As South Africa moves towards the 2026 Local Government Elections, credible and transparent political funding remains essential to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process, the Commission said.