DA declares R104m in quarter as IEC flags R15.27m in ANC donations for compliance checks

The Democratic Alliance (DA) declared more than R104 million in donations for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, while the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has identified R15.27 million in ANC donations that require further compliance action, according to IEC disclosures for the period 1 April to 30 June 2026.

Key figures from the quarter

The IEC published declarations showing the DA declared R98.75 million in monetary donations and R5.28 million in in‑kind support, making it the largest recipient of declared funding in that quarter. Major declared monetary contributions to the DA listed in the disclosures include:

• R30 million from Fynbos Ekwiteit (Pty) Ltd
• R25 million from Fynbos Kapitaal (Pty) Ltd
• R10 million from Mr D Barnes
• R5 million each from Mrs R Slack Diamond, Ms J Slack Jell, Mr M Moshal, and Lombard Consolidated Pty Ltd
• R2.5 million from Kerry Road Trust
• R2 million from Predator Securities (Pty) Ltd

Listed in‑kind donations to the DA included R2.78 million from Voices of South Africa Foundation NPC, R1.16 million from Make a Difference Trust (MAD), R815,891 from Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), and R528,655 for two vehicles from Mr and Mrs T Madilonga.

Other party disclosures

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 matter related to Siyaya’s disclosure:

“While ActionSA has made its declaration, the corresponding declaration by the donor remains outstanding.”

The Labour Party of South Africa declared R5 million from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). RISE Mzansi declared R2.25 million, comprising R1.25 million from Ungani Investments (Pty) Ltd and R1 million from Captrust Investments (Pty) Ltd.

IEC flags ANC donations for compliance

The IEC identified R15.27 million in ANC donations requiring further compliance action, listing R15 million from Batho Batho Trust and R270,000 from Captrust Investments (Pty) Ltd. The Commission said:

“These donations have not been included in the total of compliant donations published above, as the relevant compliance requirements have not been satisfied. In the interests of transparency, we have nevertheless made the information available while regulatory processes are pursued.”

The IEC also noted the ANC 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 that 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, and warned that failure to comply could trigger sanctions.

Electoral context and commission remarks

The disclosures cover the period 1 April to 30 June 2026, and were published after the proclamation of 4 November 2026 as the Local Government Elections date. The IEC said the formalisation of the election date “provides certainty to political parties, donors and other stakeholders” and said the proximity of the elections made the pattern of donations notable:

“The value and concentration of donations recorded during the quarter are notable given the proximity of the local government elections.”

The Commission stressed that transparency in political funding depends on

“accurate, complete, timely and verifiable disclosure.”

It said it expects increased fundraising and campaign expenditure as South Africa moves towards the 2026 Local Government Elections.