EFF statement on false claims of declaration of donations by political parties

12 September 2021

The EFF notes the foolish and misleading claims by some reporters that the EFF failed to the declare donations as prescribed by the Political Party Funding Act. These foolish and misleading claims that the EFF failed to declare donations are peddled by journalists that are allowing themselves to be used as conduits to attack the credibility and standing of the EFF.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) issued a detail and clear statement that political panics represented in legislatures engaged with the IEC and confirmed with they did not receive anything that requires declaration. It is common cause that the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) came into effect on the 1⁰ of April 2021. Prior to this and in anticipation of this Act coming into effect, the EFF convened several meetings with the IEC Officials to engage and train the leadership of the EFF from the National, Provincial and Regional Leadership structures on the implementation of this Act. All these engagements were done to ensure and enforce compliance with the provisions of the above-mentioned Act.

On the 6th of July 2021, the IEC wrote a letter to EFF reminding the EFF to disclose any donations received for the first quarter of the Financial Year. The EFF responded and confirmed to not have received any donations. Subsequently, the IEC responded and confirmed that there is no need to make a donation declaration on the IEC Online Party Funding System if a party has not received any donations. This is indeed in line with the Provisions of the Act as prescribed by section 9 of the PPFA, 2018. The EFF is vindicated because we have warned South Africa and our members not to listen to embedded media companies and journalists who are used as tools to fight the EFF because we are unashamedly demanding land expropriation without compensation and nationalization of strategic sectors of the economy.

The EFF calls on the IEC to release a comprehensive report with details of all political parties that responded and confirm that they did not receive any donations that requires declaration, to ensure that there is no doubt in the public minds about compliance with the all by political parties.

We remain focused on our programme of action and campaign to remove the corrupt elite government and replace it with a socialist government that will bring about permanent change to the lives of our people. No amount of disinformation, no amount of propaganda will kill the idea whose time has come.

We are a generation with a clear mission of Economic Freedom In Our Lifetime and we will achieve it.

Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, Elections Spokesperson, EFF, 12 September 2021