Independent Candidate Anele Mda Faced Funding Challenges Ahead of Elections

• Independent candidate Anele Mda criticises the lack of funding from the Electoral Commission, which has forced her to rely on public donations for her campaign
• Despite extensive efforts to gather signatures nationwide, she emphasises the challenges faced by independents compared to political parties
• Mda remains proud of her historic candidacy, regardless of the election outcome

Reitumetse Makwea is a current affairs journalist with Briefly News. She has over five years of experience with The Citizen News. She has covered many political events and movements, from historic elections to constitutional reforms, with a commitment to fostering informed public discourse and accountability.

Support from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and Parliament could have significantly improved independent candidates' election campaigns.

Independent candidate Anele Mda has criticised the Commission and Parliament for what she describes as a significant disadvantage independent candidates face in the upcoming general elections.

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Among the first-ever batch of 11 independent candidates contesting this year, Mda voiced concerns over insufficient funding from the IEC.

Independent candidates are not supported

Five independent candidates will stand in the May elections: Zackie Achmat in the Western Cape, Anele Mda in Gauteng, Lovemore Ndou in Limpopo, Faith Phathela in Limpopo, and Blessings Ramoba in Limpopo and in Gauteng.

Mda told SABC News that independent candidates don't have the same chances without the financial support that political parties receive.

"I had to rely heavily on public donations to fund my campaign. I’ve had to carry my campaign on my own, with members of the public helping here and there by donating materials like posters, t-shirts, and even spaces for billboards."

See the video of Mda campaigning alone below:

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Despite the challenges, she described her campaign journey as humbling and pivotal, allowing South Africans to endorse or reject her leadership.

She said being an independent has been a demanding task for Mda, requiring her to secure signatures from supporters nationwide.

"I had to travel all over the country to gather signatures from people and use online platforms to maximize my efforts in campaigning for these signatures. Without collecting enough signatures, I wouldn't have qualified."

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She proposed a tax break, which she describes as an opportunity for the South African Revenue Service to do audits and collect enough tax beforehand.

Source: Briefly News