Political parties bemoan inadequate protection for whistleblowers
During an African National Congress (ANC) sponsored debate calling for guaranteed anonymity, job security and legal support for whistleblowers, every speaker referenced the assassination of Babita Deokaran, who was killed outside her house in 2021 for blowing the whistle on corruption at Tembisa Hospital.
Parliamentarians said that despite a raft of laws dealing with whistleblowing, they have given rise to a culture of fear among whistleblowers who are punished rather than protected.
Parliamentarians have added pressure on the Justice Department to speed up the process of improving its treatment of whistleblowers.
The Protected Disclosure Act and Whistleblowing Act are currently under review by the department.
The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Glynnis Breytenbach is calling for the establishment of an independent whistleblower protection agency with prosecutorial referral powers.
'A dedicated, well-funded, autonomous institution must be created to receive disclosures, provide safe channels, investigate threats and offer physical protection.'
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said employers should be prohibited from disciplining officials who make protected disclosures, and should refund them the cost of litigation if an employee wins the case.
'We must similarly make it impossible for those people to be dismissed until the matter has been closed.'
Members of Parliament (MPs) are also calling for an incentive fund that will encourage people to come forward to lift the lid on corruption.
ALSO READ: Freedom Under Law echoes calls for protection of investigators, whistleblowers in high-profile cases
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