Checked 27 October 2026
Where the facts about this donor come from
Every fact on the donor page, with the sources we used. We save a copy of each source on the day we read it.
What did the parties declare?
The IEC funding reports
This donor gave the ANC 1 donation worth R2 000 000, as declared to the IEC. It was made between October and December 2025.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 27 February 2026.
Where to look: The table of donations the parties declared (section 9(1)) and the late declarations table, under the party that declared it
What has been reported?
Official records and news
The Mail & Guardian reported in 2015 that the Chancellor House Trust wholly owns Chancellor House Holdings. It said the trust's first trustees were senior ANC figures. So the people who first ran the trust were ANC leaders.
Mail & Guardian. Published 11 September 2015.
Where to look: Paragraphs on ownership and the ANC response: "Chancellor House Holdings ... is wholly owned by the Chancellor House Trust, whose founding trustees were senior ANC figures"; Zizi Kodwa: "The ANC doesn’t run Chancellor House"; section "Boiler contracts": "In 2007, Hitachi Power Africa, in which Chancellor House held a 25% stake, was controversially awarded the boiler contracts for Medupi and its sister station, Kusile, each worth more than R20-billion."
In the same report, ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said: "The ANC doesn’t run Chancellor House".
Mail & Guardian. Published 11 September 2015.
Where to look: Paragraphs on ownership and the ANC response: "Chancellor House Holdings ... is wholly owned by the Chancellor House Trust, whose founding trustees were senior ANC figures"; Zizi Kodwa: "The ANC doesn’t run Chancellor House"; section "Boiler contracts": "In 2007, Hitachi Power Africa, in which Chancellor House held a 25% stake, was controversially awarded the boiler contracts for Medupi and its sister station, Kusile, each worth more than R20-billion."
The Mail & Guardian reported that Chancellor House held 25% of Hitachi Power Africa. In 2007 that firm won the boiler contracts for Eskom's Medupi and Kusile power stations, each worth over R20 billion. Eskom is the state power company.
Mail & Guardian. Published 11 September 2015.
Where to look: Paragraphs on ownership and the ANC response: "Chancellor House Holdings ... is wholly owned by the Chancellor House Trust, whose founding trustees were senior ANC figures"; Zizi Kodwa: "The ANC doesn’t run Chancellor House"; section "Boiler contracts": "In 2007, Hitachi Power Africa, in which Chancellor House held a 25% stake, was controversially awarded the boiler contracts for Medupi and its sister station, Kusile, each worth more than R20-billion."
In 2015 the US market regulator, the SEC, charged Japan's Hitachi with wrongly recording "improper payments to the ANC" linked to these contracts. Hitachi agreed to pay $19 million to settle. The charges were against Hitachi, not the ANC.
Mail & Guardian. Published 29 September 2015.
Where to look: Intro: "On Monday, the US-based Securities and Exchange Commission charged Tokyo-based conglomerate Hitachi with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when it inaccurately recorded improper payments to the ANC in connection with contracts to build two multibillion-dollar power plants. Hitachi has agreed to pay $19-million to settle the SEC charges."; timeline, 28 February 2014: "Hitachi agreed to buy the stake in Hitachi Power Africa held by Chancellor House"
The Mail & Guardian reported that on 28 February 2014 Hitachi agreed to buy Chancellor House's stake in Hitachi Power Africa.
Mail & Guardian. Published 29 September 2015.
Where to look: Intro: "On Monday, the US-based Securities and Exchange Commission charged Tokyo-based conglomerate Hitachi with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when it inaccurately recorded improper payments to the ANC in connection with contracts to build two multibillion-dollar power plants. Hitachi has agreed to pay $19-million to settle the SEC charges."; timeline, 28 February 2014: "Hitachi agreed to buy the stake in Hitachi Power Africa held by Chancellor House"
TimesLIVE wrote in August 2023: "Chancellor House is ANC’s investment arm."
TimesLIVE. Published 31 August 2023.
Where to look: Paragraphs on DA and ANC donors: "The company’s directors are listed as Michiel du Pré le Roux and Johan Petrus du Pré le Roux"; "Chancellor House is ANC’s investment arm."
Daily Maverick called the Chancellor House Trust the ANC's investment arm in May 2026.
Daily Maverick. Published 31 May 2026.
Where to look: ANC paragraph: "from its investment arm, the Chancellor House Trust"; "Captrust Investments donated R270,000 to the party’s Veterans League"; IEC: "have not been acknowledged or declared by the party at the time of publication"
Daily Maverick reported in 2024 that Chancellor House gave money only to the ANC. So all its declared political gifts went to one party.
Daily Maverick. Published 13 March 2024.
Where to look: Paragraph on ANC funding: "Batho Batho and Chancellor House only donated to the ANC."
The IEC said the trust gave the ANC R2 million on 4 November 2025 and declared it on time. The ANC reported it only on 2 February 2026, after the legal deadline.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). The page has no date.
Where to look: Late declarations paragraph: "the ANC declared a donation of R 2 million received from Chancellor House Trust. Although the donation was received on 4 November 2025 and declared by the donor within the prescribed period, the party only reported it to the Commission only on 2 February 2026, after the statutory deadline of 31 January 2026."
The IEC said in August 2025 that all of the ANC's R7 661 000 in declared gifts that quarter came from Chancellor House. It called the trust "a regular donor to the party".
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Published 28 August 2025.
Where to look: "African National Congress (ANC) – R7 661 000.00", paragraph 1: "The entire amount came from Chancellor House which is also a regular donor to the party."
SABC News reported in November 2021 that the DA complained to the IEC about a R15 million Chancellor House gift to the ANC. We found no IEC ruling on that complaint.
SABC News. Published 19 November 2021.
Where to look: Opening paragraph: the DA "has complained to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) about the R15 million donation Chancellor House has made to the African National Congress (ANC)"
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