Hands off the truthsayers: Whistle-blowers’ safety should be a priority

Corruption in government is so rife. As a result, South Africa lost R1.5 trillion between 2014 and 2019, according to a study on state capture.

Sadly, those who are exposing the rot are often not protected. If whistle-blowers are important, their safety should be a priority.

A lot of wrongdoing is taking place in government, and without whistle-blowers we have no chance at finding out.

Whistle-blowers are our police and they ensure that those who are involved in illegal activities are exposed and punished.

These honest citizens should not be discouraged, for their role is in creating a country that is free of crime.

But as we know, snitches get stitches. Hence, it is vital for government to protect the identity of whistle-blowers and provide security.

South African Police Service (Saps) whistle-blower Patricia Mashale is right to be concerned about her safety. This after she exposed corrupt acts in Saps, implicating senior management. There were attempts on her life.

Mashale’s troubles began after she sent a dossier on corruption in disciplinary hearings, and how it was used to settle scores. She sent this information to former national police commissioner Khehla Sitole in January 2021.

This comes less than a week after Marumo Eric Phenya was gunned down, three weeks after flagging a dodgy multimillion-rand home affairs tender.

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Another whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran, who was a chief director at the Gauteng department of health, was shot dead in August 2021. She flagged R500 million in dubious payments in Tembisa Hospital tenders.

In light of this, will I be a whistle-blower even if my job or life was in danger?

If one exposes corruption, one is not guaranteed a job later – as happened to former CEO of the Government Communication and Information System Themba Maseko – or even their life for that matter.

But if being a whistle-blower will mean saving my country, its future, people’s livelihoods and give me a clear conscience – then the answer is yes, and I would take my chances.

And that, I consider honourable.

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