CW VOICES

Whistle-blowers take centre stage on WWBD

By Janine Erasmus World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), marked every year on 3 May, is a day of both reflection and reminders – the former giving media professionals a chance to think about issues of press freedom and professional ethics, and the latter prompting governments to respect their commitment to press freedom. But WPFD is Read more >

STATE CAPTURE COMMISSION

State capture whistle-blowers hailed on 23 June

Every year on 23 June we remember whistle-blowers around the world who have braved threats to their lives and livelihoods to expose corruption on both small and large scales. We also reflect on what we, as a society and as individuals, are doing to make the environment for blowing the whistle more enabling and encouraging. Read more >

WHISTLE-BLOWERS

More protections for SA whistle-blowers on the way, but will they work?

By Neil Coetzer, Maricia Smith, Bavukile Magagula, and Anthony AndrewsFirst published on Business Day During June 2023 the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development published a discussion document on proposed reforms for the whistle-blower protection regime in South Africa. Taking its cue from the criticism of the Protected Disclosures Act of 2000 by the Zondo Read more >

WHISTLE-BLOWERS

New CSO to focus on protecting, advising climate whistle-blowers

Image: Flickr/crustmania By Kwazi Dlamini Newly established French-based civil society organisation Climate Whistleblowers seeks to bring to light the plight of whistle-blowers exposing environmental transgressions against governments and big companies. Launched on 5 June 2023 – World Environment Day – the organisation also aims to throw its weight behind protecting those who speak out against Read more >

WHISTLE-BLOWERS

CW calls for harsher sentences in cases involving harm to whistle-blowers

By Belinda PhetoFirst published on News24 Corruption Watch has called for harsher sentences in cases involving whistle-blowers. The organisation was responding to the sentences handed down to the killers of Babita Deokaran, a senior health official at the Gauteng Department of Health. She was assassinated after flagging suspicious payments worth R850-million to shell companies and Read more >

LEGISLATION AND SUBMISSIONS

Comment on proposed reforms to SA’s whistle-blower protection regime

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJCD) has issued a call for written public comments on proposed reforms to South Africa’s legislative whistle-blower protection regime. Proposals are contained in a discussion document which may be downloaded for perusal. The 162-page document’s release follows recommendations made in the report of the Zondo commission, and President Read more >

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Comment on National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is calling for written comments on the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill [B31-2022]. The bill seeks to establish an independent, multi-sectoral national council which will co-ordinate and implement a coherent national strategic plan to end gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. It was Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

Should Culpable Whistleblowers Be Eligible for Rewards?

By Claire BeutterFirst published on the Global Anticorruption Blog John Doe is a whistle-blower who provided critical information to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding an international bribery scheme, assisting the agency in bringing a successful enforcement action. Doe timely filed an application for reward under a provision of federal law that directs the SEC Read more >