Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, says whistleblowers remain an important aspect to combatting corruption.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
He was speaking during the first webinar in a five-part series, which will explore the importance of whistleblowing and the challenges that whistleblowers experience.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMore often, corruption goes undetected until a whistleblower comes out. To bring any successful litigation and prosecution, you need credible evidence, and evidence doesn\u2019t just flow from nowhere.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given by people, and those people have to be assured that the framework of the witness protection and whistleblower protection functions, such that they are protected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mothibi explained that in the case of Personal Protective Equipment corruption cases, for example, the SIU has ensured that those coming forward with information are not put in any danger.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got an independent company that\u2019s running our whistleblower hotline. We do that to ensure that there\u2019s confidentiality [and] it is also to ensure that there is anonymity. Almost 90% to 95% of our PPE investigations are procurement based and that\u2019s simply because that\u2019s where all the money is.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMore often, it is officials who become aware of this corruption and maladministration around procurement processes, and we have seen that officials do come out in many instances. Then it becomes very important that the\u2026 Protected Disclosures Act really kicks [in], so that those officials are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mothibi said the death of Gauteng Health Department Chief Director of Financial Accounting, Babita Deokaran, spurred the unit to raise awareness on the legal options that whistleblowers have in order to receive protection.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Deokaran was killed in an alleged hit after she exposed potential corruption within the department.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so important for would-be witnesses and would-be whistleblowers to understand\u2026 the legal framework [to protect them]. But we as law enforcement agencies\u2026 are really geared up to ensuring that when matters and cases are reported to us, we put in place measures that will make sure that the whistleblowers and witnesses are protected,\u201d Mothibi said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The legal framework includes the Protected Disclosures Act \u2013 also known as the Whistleblowing Act \u2013 which protects workers from civil or legal liability after they have disclosed information to law enforcement about unlawful acts committed by their employer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Witnesses also have protection through the Witness Protection Act.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mothibi acknowledged that both of these Acts needed to be broadened to include those who witness corrupt acts while not necessarily working for government.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The SIU will hold the second whistleblowers webinar on October 3, which will unpack whistleblower legal frameworks and regulations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: South African Government News Agency<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, says whistleblowers remain an important aspect to combatting corruption.He was speaking during the first webinar in a five-part series, which will explore the importance of whistleblowing an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n