The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) disbursed significant sums of money to political parties in preparation for upcoming elections, with the African National Congress (ANC) leading the pack in funding allocation.
Annually, the IEC allocates millions of Rands to all parties represented in Parliament and provincial legislatures. In a report presented to Parliament outlining funding distribution among parties represented in the National Assembly, the ANC emerged as the top recipient, receiving R148 million from the commission.
Following the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second largest party in the National Assembly, was granted R62.7 million by the IEC. Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), boasting 44 members in the National Assembly, secured an allocation of R40.9 million. The report also indicated an allocation of R14.6 million for the Inkatha Freedom Party.
Surprising many in the political landscape, the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) experienced a notable increase in seats from four to 10 in the 2019 elections, resulting in an allocation of R19.5 million from the IEC.
Other parties receiving allocations included the United Democratic Movement with R6.4 million, the National Freedom Party with R6.1 million, and the Congress of the People (Cope) with R4.4 million. Cope, once boasting 30 seats upon entering Parliament in 2009, now holds only two seats.
Additionally, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) received R7.8 million, while Al-Jama-ah was allocated R5.2 million. The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), a longstanding presence in Parliament since South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, received R9.7 million.
Rounding out the allocations, the African Independent Congress (AIC) received R4.4 million, while the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was granted R4.1 million in funding from the IEC.