ActionSA has welcomed the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC’s) decision to investigate the question of a discrepancy between the declared revenue and the election campaigns of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

Last month, ActionSA requested the head of the IEC's Political Party Funding division George Mahlangu to address “significant discrepancies” between the funds reported by the EFF and MKP and the sizable National and Provincial Election campaigns they conducted.

In the first set of disclosures for the 2024/25 financial year, the EFF declared R515 313 of in-kind donations, made by MTN in the form of sim cards, mobile data, minutes and routers, for electioneering.

In March, the MKP declared R380 555 from the South African Policy Education Initiative, a not-for-profit organisation registered with the Department of Social Development.

In its complaint to the IEC against both parties, ActionSA argued that the EFF and MKP seemed to have exceeded their respective disclosed funding, when looking at the scale of their respective election campaigns and urged the IEC to investigate.

“Whilst they indicate no prima facie substance to the complaint, ActionSA welcomes that the IEC has indicated that the question of a discrepancy between the revenue and the campaigns of these parties would be interrogated through the annual financial statements currently under review following the 30 September 2024 deadline,” said ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont.   

Beaumont said it is crucial for all parties to be held to the same standards to maintain integrity in the electoral process.

He stated that this matter also raised the “toothless nature” of the Party Funding Act that was being interpreted by the IEC to “ignore the obvious fact that the campaigns of these parties are not explicable in relation to their declared revenue.”

“Section 12(3) of the Party Funding Act requires that auditors provide a full breakdown of donations received above and below the threshold which, read together with the IEC’s response, places the Commission in the position to assess whether the campaigns of these parties could have been lawfully funded based on their revenue,” he explained.                                         

He said ActionSA would proactively engage with the IEC on this matter in the months ahead.