The African National Congress (ANC) is facing compliance action from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) over donations worth R15.27 million.
The IEC raised concerns about how the ANC reported and supported the donations.
However, the Commission has not found that the donations were illegal.
The issue is whether the ANC and the donors followed the required funding rules.
At the same time, four political parties reported a combined R116.78 million in donations.
The IEC released the figures on Thursday.
The report covers donations received between 1 April and 30 June 2026.
The figures come as parties prepare for the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.
Four parties report R116.78 million
Four parties made compliant declarations during the period.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) reported the largest amount at R104.03 million.
ActionSA reported R5.5 million.
The Labour Party of South Africa reported R5 million.
RISE Mzansi reported R2.25 million.
Together, the four parties reported R116,784,185.25.
The total includes R111.5 million in cash donations.
It also includes about R5.28 million in donations in kind.
DA receives the largest share
The DA received most of the money reported during the quarter.
Its total of R104.03 million made up about 89% of the money declared by the four parties.
The party received R98.75 million in cash donations.
It also received about R5.28 million in goods and services.
For example, Fynbos Ekwiteit (Pty) Ltd gave the DA R30 million.
Fynbos Kapitaal (Pty) Ltd gave the party R25 million.
D Barnes gave the DA R10 million.
Several other donors gave R5 million each.
These included R Slack Diamond, J Slack Jell, M Moshal and Lombard Consolidated.
The DA also received donations in kind.
These included advertising, staff services, legal services and campaign assets.
IEC raises concerns over ANC donations
The ANC’s R15.27 million does not form part of the R116.78 million compliant total.
Instead, the IEC raised compliance concerns about two donations.
They are:
- R270,000 from Captrust Investment (Pty) Ltd
- R15 million from Batho Batho Trust
The IEC said some information from the ANC and the donors did not meet the required rules.
For example, some required declarations were missing.
The Commission also raised concerns about proof of transactions.
Some supporting documents were also missing.
In addition, some reports were submitted late.
The IEC has therefore issued the ANC with a section 15 direction.
The party must now address the issues raised by the Commission.
If the ANC does not comply, the IEC could take further action.
This could include stopping future payments from the Political Representatives Fund and the Multi-Party Democracy Fund.
The matter could also go to the Electoral Court.
Importantly, the IEC has not said that the donations were unlawful.
The current issue concerns the way the donations were reported and supported.
More ANC donations reported late
The IEC also raised concerns about other ANC donations from the 2025/26 financial year.
Some of these donations reached the IEC after the required reporting dates.
They include an in-kind donation of R501,230.29 from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
The ANC also reported a R10 million donation from Botho Botho Commercial Enterprises.
Another donation of R500,000 came from Valumax Projects.
The IEC also referred to further donations involving Batho Batho Trust.
Some of these reports had problems with late submissions and supporting documents.
The Commission also found issues with dual disclosure.
ActionSA, Labour Party and RISE Mzansi
ActionSA reported R5.5 million in donations.
The amount includes R5 million from Martin Moshal.
It also includes R500,000 from Siyaya Free To Air TV.
However, the IEC said the required declaration from Siyaya Free To Air TV was still outstanding.
The Labour Party of South Africa reported R5 million from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
RISE Mzansi reported R2.25 million.
Ungani Investments gave the party R1.25 million.
Captrust Investments gave it R1 million.
The IEC said both RISE Mzansi donations met the requirements.
Political funding could rise before elections
Political parties are expected to raise more money as the election approaches.
Campaign spending could also increase in the coming months.
Parties are likely to spend more on advertising and online campaigns.
They may also spend more on political events and voter mobilisation.
Transport and campaign materials could also increase costs.
The IEC has warned parties and donors about the need to follow funding rules.
The Commission will pay close attention to large donations.
It will also check late reports and differences between donor and party declarations.
Third-party spending will also receive attention.
The IEC will further check donations in kind, proof of transactions and foreign funding.
Donation limits have increased
The rules for political donations have also changed.
The disclosure threshold has increased from R100,000 to R200,000.
The annual donation limit has also increased.
It has moved from R15 million to R30 million.
The changes come as parties prepare for the November elections.
The latest figures show how much money some parties are already raising.
For the ANC, the IEC compliance process now puts more focus on its political funding records.
Political party funding is likely to remain an important election issue.
ECNewsLive will continue to follow developments involving political funding, election preparations and IEC compliance ahead of the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections.
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