Public Interest South Africa (PISA) is proud to announce the opening of nominations for the 2024 Whistleblowers Awards. These prestigious awards aim to recognise and honour whistleblowers for their courageous efforts in exposing unethical behaviour and to promote ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability within organisations and society.
The 2024 Whistleblowers Awards are presented in partnership with the Whistleblower Support Platform for Reform (WSPR), a multi-stakeholder partnership comprised of Corruption Watch, the Whistleblower House, the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), the Southern African Institute for Responsive and Accountable Governance (SAIRAG), PISA, and the Transparency, Integrity & Accountability Programme (TIP) of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Nominations open on 29 July 2024, and will close on 1 September 2024. Individuals and organisations are encouraged to submit nominations across the following categories:
- Individual Whistleblower Excellence Award
- The Whistleblower Champion Award
- Investigative Journalism Excellence (Individual)
- Investigative Journalism Excellence (Media House)
- The Sherpa Award for Whistleblower Support
- The Whistleblower Edification Award
- Fallen Heroes of Integrity Award
The Whistleblowers Awards not only recognise the invaluable contributions of whistleblowers but also serve to educate the public about the critical role whistleblowing plays in defending democracy and maintaining transparency and accountability in South Africa.
“Whistleblowers are the unsung heroes of our society, risking their careers and personal safety to expose wrongdoing. These awards provide a platform to acknowledge their bravery and dedication to justice,” said Tebogo Khaas, chairperson of PISA.
The awards also aim to raise public awareness about the importance of whistleblowers in maintaining a just and ethical society and provide a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among stakeholders committed to whistleblowing advocacy.
Khaas elaborated, “South Africa has seen unprecedented levels of corruption in recent years, both at the grand scale of state capture through to the petty corruption that millions of South Africans experience in the health, education and police services. Without the brave actions of whistleblowers much of this wrongdoing would remain hidden. We are excited that these awards provide an avenue to recognise the selfless contribution that whistleblowers make and we look forward to reviewing the nominations.”
For more information on how to enter and to submit nominations, please visit the PISA website.
