WeeklySA_AdminMARK: The amount secured from donors in the past three months, contrasting the total R59m injected between October and December last year…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) latest Party Funding Disclosure Report, 13 political parties made donation declarations for the fourth quarter of 2023/24, amounting to a record R172,069,959, bringing the total to R230 million over the past six months.
This amount, covering the period from January 1 to March 31 2024, is higher than the total disclosed in all previous quarters and the combined disclosures of the last two financial years (2021/22 and 2022/23).
In the last quarter, covering October 1 to December 31 2023, the total value of donations declared for the third quarter of the 2023/24 financial year is just over R59 million, covering the period of October 1 to December 31 2023.
Referring to donations for the fourth quarter, the commission says that for the first time since the inception of the Party Funding Act, the declaration value has surpassed the R100 million mark. In term of the Political Party Funding Act, parties must disclose all donations received above R100 000.
Interestingly, the Democratic Alliance (DA) continued to trump other parties with their donor tally, while the party with the second highest declared donations no longer competing in the upcoming elections.
The DA declared the biggest single donation of R65 million. This was followed by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which declared a R20 million donation, with the African National Congress (ANC) declaring a R16 million donation.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) declared a R2 million donation from billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s companies, which also donated to the ANC, DA, and Freedom Front Plus.
Meanwhile, the new kid on the block, Rise Mzansi, declared a R15 million donation while ActionSA declared donations valued at just more than R10 million. African Transformation Movement (ATM) declared a total donation of R120 000 received from Caesar Nongqunga, an individual donor.
Businessman Roger Jardine’s failed political party, Change Starts Now, declared just over R35 million. The party is not contesting the May 29 elections. A message from the disclosed total amount is that the rate, extent, and the results of political campaign finance activities for the 2024 elections have demonstrably reached levels never seen before, added the commission.
Meanwhile, the total value of donations declared for the third quarter of the 2023/24 financial year is R59 052 065.82, covering the period of October 1 to December 13 2023.
During the period, new-kid-on-the-block Rise Mzansi led other parties with a donation R16 744 186. Of the total declared amount, R15 million was a monetary donation received from Rebecca Oppenheimer, who has in the past made similar large donations to parties such as the DA and ActionSA. Another donation declared by Rise Mzansi was in the amount of R1 000 000 received from Main Street 1564 (Pty) Ltd.
A total of seven (7) political parties have made donation declarations during this quarter, and they are: Rise Mzansi (R16 744 186); ActionSA (R13 912 450); ANC (R10m); Build One SA (R8,5m); Patriotic Alliance (R7 096 380); DA (R2 608 009) and Inkatha Freedom Party (R191 040).
The biggest beneficiary during the third quarter, after Rise Mzansi, was ActionSA with R13 912 450 – thanks to the party’s regular donors, Victoria Freudenheim (R7 486 200) and Martin Moshal (R5 000 000, Durban-born Australian businessman reportedly with majority stake in Betway.
Durban-born billionaire Martin Moshal has reportedly donated around R59.5 million to political parties – mainly to DA (R35m) and ActionSA (R20,5m) between April 2021 and December 2023, according to an Independent Online report.
Moshal, who lives in Sydney in Australia, studied Business Science at the University of Cape Town. He holds an Honorary PhD from the Technikon – Israel Institute of Technology. He is also an Honorary Fellow of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His wealth is largely unknown, but according to an expose done by British Newspaper Daily Mail, he does own some, if not a large majority of gambling giant Betway.
The Daily Mail report further noted that the owners of Betway are hidden behind shell companies in Guernsey, Malta and the British Virgin Islands.
