A new survey by the Anti-Intimidation and Ethical Practices Forum paints a grim picture of the state of ethics in South African businesses.
This year marks a sharp drop in ethical sentiment among business professionals, the 2018 survey shows.
One in four people believe financial success is more important than doing the right thing. In 2017, 60% of public sector respondents agreed that private sector leaders were ethical. That number plummeted to 17% in 2018, and a disturbing 25% of public sector workers say they fear for their lives when reporting wrongdoing.
These results are hardly shocking. The past few years have given us ample proof that whistle-blowers become targets, regardless of the sector.
For whistle-blowers who speak up in the corporate world or at the municipal level, the backlash is severe.
I became a whistle-blower one year ago, when I testified before the parliamentary inquiry into state capture at Eskom. But was it worth it?
Instead of dealing with its corruption, Eskom has dealt with me. I was threatened, surveilled, suspended (multiple times) and eventually fired.
And, there are others like me. Many people have information about state capture, corruption and abuse of power, but they won’t come forward for fear of recrimination.
When no immediate action on disclosures is taken, and justice is deferred indefinitely, the message to whistle-blowers is clear: what you did doesn’t matter.
The risk our country takes is that future whistle-blowers will decide it’s not worth it. Maybe that’s a risk those in power are willing to take?
I came forward because I was outraged. The criminal acts were cleverly disguised in corporate language and jargon, but the theft was pervasive.
When I pieced it together, I sounded the alarm, but no one was willing to act. I had to break ranks.
Like so many whistle-blowers, I believed at the time that the truth would prevail. I believed South Africa would deliver justice; those in power would deal with the brazen Eskom theft. But that’s not what happened.
While Eskom barely cleaned house, my life was turned upside down. Baseless accusations were hurled at me. Nothing has stuck. My case is now with the Labour Court, and I’m confident that my dismissal, just like my suspension, will be ruled unfair.
Would I do it again? Yes. But I say that with less confidence than a year ago. My faith in our democracy is shaken. I am discouraged, but I still have hope. Our democracy is 24 years old. We now know that it was compromised for nearly half of those years.
When state capture claims first appeared, we were shocked. Then angered. But now, as revelations keep coming, we are at risk of going numb. That would be the greatest tragedy of this state capture nightmare - if we lose the will to fight for our democracy.
How do we emerge from this crisis stronger? Start by recognising our power - and responsibility - as ordinary citizens. We have a right to justice and a duty to be vigilant. Ask who stands to benefit when nothing is done? We can rebuild our country, but only if we refuse to be complacent.
Suzanne Daniels is a former head of legal compliance at Eskom