South Africa: Politics: "Who Owns What" Database Launched by Institute of Security Studies

From the Mail and Guardian (Cape Town):

The new online Who Owns What Database launched by the Institute of Security Studies in Cape Town on Friday is making the assets and private interests of all elected officials available to the public for the first time.

Originally launched in September 2009, the database of politicians’ assets and onterests contained approximately 9000 financial disclosure records submitted between 2004 and 2010 by elected members in the National Assembly, National Cabinet, nine provincial legislatures and metropolitan councils.

The database has recently been extended to include the latest financial disclosure records of elected local councillors from municipalities across the country.

“What this means is that the public can access the financial disclosure forms of all elected politicians online,” Collette Herzenberg, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said at the launch of the database.

Direct to Who Owns What Database

See Also: Conflicts of Interest Toolkit (PDF) (via Institute of Security Studies)

The Corruption and Governance Programme at the Institute for Security Studies has compiled a Conflicts of Interest Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to provide journalists and researchers with a quick introduction to conflicts of interests and South Africa’s regulatory system.

Filed under: News