Rewards for whistleblowers is a controversial topic. The term “whistleblower” evokes imagery of an authoritative call to attention. However, in the past, South Africa’s reaction to protecting whistleblowers has often been muted. The silence after the whistle blows, in the experience of the whistleblower is an isolated quiet, when the individual who dares to speak out can be rejected by their colleagues, profession and community. Breaking the silence requires not just legal protections, but a cultural shift in how we treat those who come forward to expose malicious actors.
Babita Deokaran, senior official in the Gauteng health department, identified R332-million in procurement corruption at Tembisa Hospital. In August 2021, she was murdered outside her home. Her death is not an isolated event – it is one among many pieces of evidence that shows the system for safeguarding whistleblowers is broken.
For 26 years, the Protected Disclosures Act has failed in its promise to defend whistleblowers from reprisals. The protections offered under the Act are largely retroactive and, frequently, require protracted legal action. The Act recognises that speaking truth and sounding the alarm is a form of civic duty, yet it provides little reason for individuals to act with courage.
The new Protected Disclosures Bill (2026) has introduced the concept of paying whistleblowers for the risks of their efforts (providing the possibility of reward). This is a positive development though the...
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump resurrected long-debunked claims about fraud and foreign interference in the 2020 election, alleging in an address Thursday that China stole millions of voter...