South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) have been urged by Independent Democrats MP Lance Greyling to ”give back the money” they received from slain businessman Brett Kebble ”without a fight”.
It was reported by the Sunday Times that the trustees of the estate of Kebble — gunned down in September 2005 — had issued notices of demand to the ANC to repay millions it received from the country’s most notorious corporate swindler. This included R2,4-million from the ANC in the Western Cape, R750 000 from the ANC in the Eastern Cape, R6-million from the ANC Youth League, R14-million from Lunga Ncwana — a youth league member — and R860 000 from Songezo Mjongile, a member of the ANC Youth League’s national executive committee.
A Cape Town newspaper reported that the ANC in the Western Cape viewed the amount as a donation while South African Broadcasting Corporation radio reported the Democratic Alliance’s James Selfe as saying that about R250 000 — about half of the donations to the DA from Kebble — had been paid back.
The other monies donated were not made from questionable sources, he argued.
Greyling said the notices issued by trustees of Kebble’s estate to the ANC ”once again highlight the urgent need for new regulations governing party political funding in South Africa”.
”The ANC’s hiring of lawyers to fight lengthy court battles highlights the desperate opposition some political parties have towards transparent party funding,” said Greyling.
He noted that the ANC had promised to introduce legislation around party funding when the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), had taken the party funding transparency matter to court. ”It said that party funding should be governed by Parliament and not the courts, but three or four years later it has still done nothing,” said Greyling.
”The ID from the very beginning has supported Idasa’s multiparty initiative to discuss a proper regulatory system that would govern all aspects of party political funding.
”It is absolutely imperative, in the interests of democracy, transparency and accountability, that the ANC introduces legislation that can govern party political funding in South Africa and put an end to the kind of funding scandals that have become common cause over the past few years,” he said. – I-Net Bridge