Cape Town - The country’s fight to put an end to corruption will not produce the desired results if the government does not prioritise the protection of whistle-blowers.
There is no doubt the state’s inability to protect whistle-blowers has silenced those who want to speak out against the scourge of corruption. The continued murder and silencing of these men and women is a serious threat to the country’s democracy.
Speaking at the Union Buildings on Sunday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa commended whistle-blowers and the role they played as witnesses in the state capture inquiry.
He also emphasised the importance of protecting these individuals in the fight against corruption.
However, in his speech there was little detail on what the government and law enforcement agencies are going to do to make them feel safe and protected.
The Protected Disclosure Act, meant to protect those exposing corruption, is often flouted. This has led to whistle-blowers being attacked, dismissed, intimidated or killed. This does not encourage other individuals, especially those in the public sector, to spill the beans on corruption.
We are aware of the murders of former ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa and chief director of financial accounting in the Gauteng Health Department, Babita Deokaran.
They were killed for being at the forefront of fighting and exposing corruption. To this day, KwaZulu-Natal anti-corruption activist and whistle-blower Thabiso Zulu, who was a close friend of Magaqa, has not received protection despite attempts having been made on his life.
In his response to state capture recommendations, Ramaphosa missed a great opportunity to demonstrate the state’s commitment to protecting whistle-blowers.
The murders of Magaqa and Deokaran have served as a reminder that the stakes are high when it comes to those speaking out against corruption.
If something is not done urgently to protect whistle-blowers, we should forget about people coming forward to report corruption. The criminals would have won.
Cape Times