Whistleblowers uncover corruption and help bring the truth to light, often benefitting society in the process. But in Africa they face dismissal, violence and murder. Extensive legislation seldom offers real protection.
Babita Deokaran was shot dead in broad daylight outside her home in Johannesburg on August 23, 2021. She had just dropped her daughter off at school when a car full of men pulled up next to her and opened fire.
As the acting chief financial officer at the Gauteng Provincial Government Department of Health, the 53-year-old South African had repeatedly acted as a whistleblower. The South African Special Investigating Unit (SIU) confirmed that she was a key witness in an ongoing investigation into the overpriced procurement of COVID-19 protective clothing.
The corruption affair, which is currently being heard in court, involves around 20 million ($22 million).
Whistleblowers in South Africa often pay a high price for their actions. Yet they are key to fighting corruption in a country that ranks 70 out of 180 on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
Whistleblowers for Change, which has 22 members, says they are often subjected to harassment and violence, dismissed from their jobs, and even murdered for their courage.
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