Cape Town - Whose cheque books are being opened for which political parties in South Africa?

This is the latest public project undertaken by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa).

The two organisations are aiming at establishing through Who funds Who, a new internet service, who gives money to political parties to fuel their election campaigns.

The service will also branch out to the rest of Africa.

The organisations hope that the encompassing permanent project will generate the required momentum to force members of parliament to consider legislation that will regulate private funding of political parties in South Africa.

The organisations will also be willing to assist in the formulation of policy in this regard.

Hennie van Vuuren, senior researcher at the ISS, says although political parties need money to fight election campaigns, such money has the potential to invite corruption, as well as pushing the interests of voters into the background in favour of powerful interest groups that donate money to political parties on certain conditions.

With acknowledgements to Elsabé Brits and the Beeld.