ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa has dismissed claims the party’s financial turnaround can be attributed to financing from Iran, insisting its finances have been stabilised by internal reforms rather than questionable foreign contributions.
“Most issues cited as reasons to increase tariffs for SA have no basis, including the one about the ANC getting funds from Iran,” Ramokgopa told journalists this week.
Her comments come as SA faces growing protectionist trade policies from the US, its second largest trading partner, with some in the US Congress raising questions about Pretoria’s foreign policy alignments and the ANC’s sources of funding.
In July, a bill by Republican Ronny Jackson passed through committees in the House of Representatives. However, it has not been voted on by the full house, which is in recess until September, so no further action is expected before then.
Allegations of Iranian support have circulated in political circles and media reports since 2024.
Claims that the ANC was receiving funding from Iran were initially sparked by a former CEO of the SA Institute of Race Relations (IRR) shortly after SA filed its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The claim was later reported by various Israeli media publications.
However, it was not backed by evidence. Data from National Treasury shows the ICJ case is funded from SA’s internal budget.
Most issues cited as reasons to increase tariffs for SA have no basis, including the one about the ANC getting funds from Iran.
— ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa
For 2025/2026, R35m has been allocated for the ICJ case against Israel for alleged human rights violations in Gaza. A further R36.6m is allocated in 2026/27.
The ANC’s financial difficulties have been widely reported in recent years, with recurring salary payment delays and concerns about the sustainability of its operations.
Ramokgopa said progress had been made in stabilising the balance sheet, partly by improving efficiency and broadening the pool of service providers the party relies on.
“We are not where we need to be, but we are encouraged by the progress made,” Ramokgopa said.
She said financial challenges remain mainly because of the limits of disclosure in the Political Party Funding Act.
The regulations were recently amended by President Cyril Ramaphosa after recommendations by the National Assembly.
The restrictions on private donations for political parties has eased with the disclosure threshold for the upper limit doubling to R200,000 and the annual cap from a single entity increased from R15m to R30m.
“The companies are very reluctant to do that [make donations]. Even companies owned by those who are known to be ANC members are reluctant,” she said.
Ramokgopa said the ANC had requested donors who are reluctant to directly donate to the party to instead donate to the multiparty Democracy Fund, which is administered by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC).
“The first fund comes from the fiscus and it’s not adequate. The second fund, of the IEC, is the multiparty fund and a number of companies have started to contribute there instead of to individual political parties. That is a better environment for them,” she said.
Parties represented in parliament disclosed a combined R231m in donations during the 2024/25 financial year.
The IEC said in its latest declarations report parties reported R14.19m in contributions in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year where only ActionSA, the DA and the ANC disclosed their sources of funding.
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