Oppenheimers one of many wealthy political party funders EFF wants answers from

CAPE TOWN - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wants wealthy funders of political parties, including mining family the Oppenheimers, to explain the reasons for their donations to Parliament.

Since 2021, when it became mandatory for political parties to declare these donations to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the millions donated by the family and other billionaire entrepreneurs have set tongues wagging.

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During the budget debate of the Department of Home Affairs on Monday, the EFF questioned why these benefactors were not rather bolstering the Multiparty Democracy Fund for the equitable distribution among all parties.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Build One South Africa (BOSA), and RISE Mzansi have all benefited from the largesse of the Oppenheimer family.

Bank founder Michiel Le Roux has also donated handsomely to the DA.

But the EFF’s Yazini Tetyana believes there are more sinister motives for their generosity, and says  the party will demand the Home Affairs portfolio committee summon these benefactors.

“To come and explain their motives for spending such obscene amounts of money on elections. What exactly are their objectives? What do they seek to achieve? Where was this money all along when people were suffering in this country?”

However, Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber said the EFF should re-assess their own declarations.

“The question we need to ask is where’s the EFF’s declarations of the VBS money? We want to look into the declarations. We can’t only talk about party funding and ignore and turn a blind eye to these serious allegations.”

Schreiber said an independent panel reviewing the country’s electoral system is already at work.