Johannesburg - The ANC must publicly state how much it has benefited from Hitachi Power Africa's share rise, Democratic Alliance spokesperson Sejamothopo Motau said on Sunday.
"The DA welcomes ANC treasurer Matthews Phosa's admission that the shares held by ANC front company Chancellor House in Hitachi Power Africa, the company awarded a multi-billion rand contract in Eskom's new Medupi power station, clearly created a situation in which the ANC was seen to be taking advantage of the taxpayer to raise money," he said.
"We also welcome Mr Phosa's announcement that the ANC will disinvest its share in Hitachi."
However, Motau said the announcement had come too late and he wanted the ruling party to divulge how much it would earn from the sale of shares in Hitachi.
"The fact is that even by selling their shares in Hitachi Power Africa within the next six weeks, as Phosa has now stated that Chancellor House will do, the ANC will stand to make an enormous profit on the deal," he said.
"Matthews Phosa must go further and say how much the ANC has benefited from Hitachi's taxpayer-funded share rise.
"The value of their shares in the company will no doubt have risen exponentially over this period of time, and particularly after the World Bank loan was granted."
Motau said the ANC, through Chancellor House, had now already made their killing.
Last week the DA called for the World Bank to make its $3.75bn loan conditional on the ANC divesting its stake in Hitachi.
The ANC hit back at the DA, claiming it was unpatriotic and "bent on destroying the growing South African economy to satisfy narrow interests".
The DA will submit a private members legislative proposal to parliament this week in an attempt to ban political parties from "tendering and contracting with general government".
"Passing legislation of that sort will be the only way for Phosa to be able to genuinely claim to the South African people that his party is serious about avoiding conflicts of interest of this sort," Motau said.
- Sapa