French arms company Thint has pledged money towards the costs of the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal provincial congress, the ANC said today.

It said in a statement while a pledge had been made the money had not been transferred to the ANC yet.

The Times newspaper reported that Thint donated R25,000 towards the costs of the provincial congress.

In a statement the party said the general thrust of the article aimed to criminalise the very legitimate funding of our party, "as if anyone who funds the ANC is a shady or suspicious character.

"This criminalisation trend is one that we have been observing for a while and that is why we are urgently looking into the legislation of funding of political parties so that prospective funders of our movement are not chased away for fear of this very public victimisation."

Speaking at the congress, the ANC's Mike Mabuyakhulu said the cost of the congress was far greater than Thint's pledge to the ANC. "It is a mere fraction of the cost."

Mabuyakhulu said the party was not a profit-making organisation, but relied on sponsorship from the community and other organisations.

Thint could not comment today on the contribution.

"(Pierre Moynot) is not available. He is out of the country," his personal assistant, Nirusha Reddy, told Sapa today.

Reddy said Moynot - and other company spokesmen - would only be available by next Friday for comment. "They are all abroad," she said.

Thint is at the centre of alleged bribery and corruption involving ANC president Jacob Zuma.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and The Times.