Experts warn SA’s Protected Disclosures Bill still leaves gaps in legal, safety and media protections for whistleblowers.
South Africa’s proposed Protected Disclosures Bill is being hailed as a step forward, but experts warn it may do little to protect whistleblowers who risk everything to expose corruption.
Devoshum Moodley-Veera is from the Active Citizens Movement.
She says while the bill introduces tougher penalties for retaliation, it still leaves critical gaps.
" The request for the establishment of an independent ombudsman or a whistleblower office to deal with complaints of whistleblowers. The second gap that is currently in the PDA is the gap in relation to psychological assistance or support. There's also legal assistance for those who are currently employed and not for those who are unemployed and there are also areas in terms of security and safety for whistleblowers that have been left out in the PDA."
The Justice Minister has invited public comment on the draft bill.
But Moodley-Veera has questions about whether these submissions will truly be considered.
" Will these comments that will be shared with civil society be included in the PDA, or will it be enacted with these deficiencies? I don't think there is proper oversight in terms of dealing with these amendments that will be going through to the Department of Justice."
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