ANC slams Premier Winde’s undeclared US travel

The ANC in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature has called for an investigation into Premier Alan Winde’s failure to declare sponsored travel to the United States in 2024.

This follows revelations that Winde’s flight tickets to attend Climate Week NYC 2024 in New York, held from September 22 to 25 last year, were funded by the Under2 Coalition, a global network of subnational governments committed to climate action.

While the sponsorship was recorded in the Department of the Premier’s 2024/2025 Annual Report, the ANC claims it was not declared in the Register of Members’ Interests, as required by the legislature’s code of conduct.

“The code of conduct clearly stipulates that members must declare all gifts, sponsorships, or benefits, including sponsored travel, to prevent any perception of conflict of interest or undue influence,” the ANC leader in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, Khalid Sayed noted. 

The party argued that the omission raises questions about transparency and accountability in the provincial government.

“Moreover, this failure to disclose casts doubt on the credibility of the Department of the Premier’s Annual Report itself.

"The inconsistency between the political principal's non-disclosure and the department’s reporting raises concerns about whether the DA-led provincial government’s claims of clean and accountable governance exist only on paper, while compliance in practice is neglected,” Sayed added. 

The ANC said it would write to the Registrar of Members’ Interests to request a formal investigation into the alleged breach.

The Premier’s office has not yet responded to the allegations.