(Parliamentary debate: Protection of whistle-blowers through the implementation of robust laws guaranteeing anonymity, job security and legal support for those reporting corruption)
In a country like South Africa, where corruption is rampant, it is of the utmost importance to protect whistle-blowers in every possible way to safeguard their lives and futures.
The media reports on scandals and corruption every day. The most notorious of these is undoubtedly former President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta brothers’ state capture.
Unfortunately, one frequently also reads that those who blow the whistle on corruption pay with their lives or are otherwise victimised in an effort to silence them.
Examples include Pamela Mabini (murdered), Athol Williams (fled the country), Babita Deokaran (murdered), Jimmy Mohlala (murdered), Martha Ngoye (dismissed by Prasa) and Cynthia Stimpel (dismissed).
A much older example is that of Robert and Cora Smit, who were murdered in November 1977 because he allegedly intended to expose irregularities. The case was reopened in November 2012, but no progress has been made.
These examples clearly demonstrate a significant lack of legal, financial and psychological support for those who expose corruption in government and elsewhere.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s draft document outlining proposed reforms for whistle-blower protection, published in June 2023, has still not been finalised, despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s undertaking to do so in his State of the Nation Address at the beginning of the year.
While existing legislation, such as the Protected Disclosures Act and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, is in place, it is clearly inadequate.
This raises another question: will more legislation truly offer whistle-blowers the protection they need? Does South Africa even have the experience, expertise, intelligence capabilities and manpower needed to enforce existing laws? The answer is “no”.
The significant shortcomings in, among other things, crime intelligence are evident in ordinary criminal cases, which often end in unsuccessful prosecutions. As a result, whistle-blowers often choose to remain silent.
This has to change. People who choose to take a stand against crime and corruption are courageous enough to do the right thing. The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) honours these modern, often unsung, heroes.
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