Where the facts about Rise Mzansi come from

Rise Mzansi is on the IEC list in 7 councils. Four are metros: Buffalo City, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane. The other three are Mogale City, Greater Tzaneen and Polokwane.

Make sure water runs, lights stay on and rubbish gets collected. Open the books, publish tenders and act against officials who cannot explain spending. Staff by-law enforcement and make metro police answer when people call.

Water: Rise Mzansi's 2026 election website says water must run from the tap. It puts this first, with power and rubbish. It says a municipality 'is judged on this and almost nothing else'. It gives no plan for how. In its own words: “Water that runs, lights that stay on, refuse that gets collected.”

Electricity and power cuts: Rise Mzansi's 2026 election website says the lights must stay on. It lists this with water and rubbish, and gives no plan for how. In its own words: “Water that runs, lights that stay on, refuse that gets collected.”

Rubbish: Rise Mzansi's 2026 election website calls for refuse (rubbish) that gets collected. In its own words: “Water that runs, lights that stay on, refuse that gets collected.”

Metro police: Rise Mzansi's 2026 election website calls for a metro police service that answers when you call. It also calls for staffed by-law enforcement. In its own words: “Working streetlights, staffed by-law enforcement, and a metro police service that answers when you call.”

Corruption: Rise Mzansi's website for the 2026 election calls for open books. It calls for tenders to be published. It also calls for consequences for officials who cannot explain where the budget went. In its own words: “Open books, published tenders, and consequences for officials who cannot explain where the budget went.”

Rise Mzansi has never run a council. It holds no council seat in its own name. The 2026 election is its first local election. It has stood in by-elections (votes to fill one empty seat). One was in eThekwini Ward 64 in September 2025, where it got 139 votes, which was 3%. In August 2024 a Rise member, Axolile Notywala, filled an empty GOOD seat in the Cape Town council. He sits as a GOOD councillor and is a member of both parties. We found no source on whether he still holds the seat in 2026.

Rise Mzansi told the IEC about 3 donations worth R32 250 000, from July 2025 to June 2026.

Gifts over R100 000 from one donor, named in the reports: R33 895 000. Smaller gifts, R100 000 or less from one donor (names not published): R1 538 515. Membership fees and levies: R23 320. From the Political Representatives Fund: R1 550 507. From Parliament and provincial legislatures: R9 221 675.

April to June 2026. The IEC said: “RISE Mzansi declared donations totalling R2.25 million, comprising R1.25 million from Ungani Investments (Pty) Ltd and R1 million from Captrust Investments (Pty) Ltd. The donations were made in monetary terms on 11 and 29 May 2026, respectively. Both these donations are fully compliant with the requirements of the Act.”

January to March 2026. The IEC said: “The R30 million declaration made by RISE Mzansi represents a conversion of a previous loan into donation. The terms of this conversion are still to be clarified by the Commission. Consequently, the Electoral Commission will further engage with the party on this loan-donation conversion to ascertain compliance with the requirements of the Act.”

January to March 2026. The IEC said: “RISE Mzansi declared a single donation valued at R30 million from an entity known as “We Are The People”. The donation arose from the conversion of a previous loan to the party and constitutes one of the largest single declarations made since the commencement of the Political Funding Act.”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, said this in a budget debate in Parliament. MPs were discussing how much money the foreign affairs department gets. He says democracy is under attack in the United States and other places. He wants people everywhere to unite against unfairness, from children in Gaza to immigrants in the US. The speech does not ask the government to do anything about Gaza. In its own words: “Now is the time for all democrats all over the world, those who believe in human rights and justice, to stand together and fight injustice everywhere, from the children of Gaza”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, said this in a party statement. It was for #Week4Palestine, a week of support for Palestinians around the world. Rise Mzansi wants the fighting in Gaza to stop for good and help to reach people there. It wants outside experts to check every breach of the law, by any side. It backs a fully independent Palestinian state, but does not say what South Africa's government should do. In its own words: “RISE Mzansi urges for a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian aid access, and independent investigations into all violations.”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, said this in a budget debate in Parliament about mining. He says South Africa sends its chrome ore to China. China turns it into ferrochrome, a metal made from that ore, and gains from it. He says the two countries once agreed that minerals should be processed where they are dug up. He wants the government to plan so this work happens in South Africa. In its own words: “What the Chinese are producing at home should be exported from South Africa, not produced in China.”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, said this in a budget debate in Parliament about foreign affairs. He says the US under President Trump uses tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods, to fight its trading partners. He wants South Africa's embassies to help businesses find other markets, so it relies less on the US. But he wants South Africa to stand by many Americans, who he says helped in its struggle for freedom. In its own words: “it is important to draw a distinction between the Trump administration and the American people”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, said this in a debate in Parliament about the US stopping its aid. He agreed with the President that South Africa must not be bullied. He says the US now treats old friends, like Canada and Mexico, badly. He says this will change which countries work together. So he wants South Africa to rethink its partners, based on what is good for both sides. In its own words: “The United States, US, is isolating itself from its traditional friends so we must look at alliances of mutual interest a little differently than we have before.”

Daily Maverick reported that Rise Mzansi supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's top court. The case says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Genocide means trying to destroy a whole people.

Daily Maverick reported a Rise Mzansi statement of 29 July 2025. It says Israel's government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is committing genocide in Gaza. It says this is the Israeli government's doing, not that of Jewish people. In its own words: “That the Government of Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu is committing genocide against the people of Gaza, Palestine, is well established.”

Songezo Zibi, the Rise Mzansi leader, told Daily Maverick that funders stopped giving because of the party's stance on Israel. He said the loss is likely in the millions of rand. He also said he was invited on the April 2025 Israel trip paid for by South African Friends of Israel, and declined. In its own words: “There are lots of people who had undertaken to support us, and had already been assisting us, who basically stopped”

Rise Mzansi told the IEC about 1 donation from The Tempyr Trust, in April to June 2024. The IEC said "The Tempyr Trust is a foreign entity headquartered in Luxembourg". So a trust based in Luxembourg, a small country in Europe, gave Rise Mzansi money. The IEC said it paid for training party volunteers and agents, which the law allows. In February 2024, Rise Mzansi's chief organiser said the party does not take money from foreign entities or governments, The Star reported. We found no record of who is behind the trust.

South African parties may not take money from foreign governments. They may take money from foreign organisations only to train members or develop policy. This is limited to R5 million a year.