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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 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 >

In a true democracy, citizens hold the power

By Themba MasekoFirst published on News24 At the end of May, the nation is expected to conduct an introspection about the numerous crises facing the country. These crises include rising levels of poverty, inequality, unemployment, crime, an energy crisis, and a loss of confidence in the state’s capacity to fulfil its electoral and constitutional mandate.  Read more >

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 >

Make whistle-blowers the focus of the law, CW says in DoJ submission

Any changes to the whistle-blower protection legislative regime have to acknowledge whistle-blowers as the focal point, and the objective to ensure their broadest possible protection should be a foundational principle of the legislation and the starting point for the drafting of any definitions. This is the submission by Corruption Watch to a discussion paper proposing Read more >

Using the law to frustrate, rather than support, whistle-blowers

Whistle-blowers and their challenges and potential hardships have been in the news lately. Plans to amend the legislation governing their protection are in motion – though not at the urgent speed we would like to see. Civil society organisations, including Corruption Watch, have been asking for meaningful changes for years, and it is only with Read more >

Lamola: Public must invoke Mandela spirit in guiding whistle-blower law changes

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Ronald Lamola urged members of the public to make meaningful contributions to the discussion document released by his department in June on amendments to whistle-blower protection legislation. Lamola delivered the keynote address at a symposium on the topic, hosted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on Friday. In contributing, Read more >