Public Service and Administration Minister, Noxolo Kiviet, has outlined measures government would be taking to protect whistleblowers when they come forward.
Babita Deokaran was killed outside her home in Johannesburg after blowing the whistle on corruption in the Gauteng department of health.
She was a senior official in the department at the time of her murder. Six men accused of her murder pleaded guilty in court a few months ago. They entered into a plea bargain with the State and were given sentences ranging between six and 22 years in prison.
But political parties were not happy that it appeared the masterminds behind her killing were still at large.
Kiviet said the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Anti-Corruption Task Team have been working on a number of initiatives to protect whistleblowers.
But they will in addition to the protection of whistleblowers offer incentives and financial rewards to them, said Kiviet who was replying to a written parliamentary question from Democratic Alliance MP Leon Schreiber.
Kiviet also said they were working with the University of South Africa (Unisa), the United Nations and civil society where they formed partnerships and hosted a seminar on the protection of whistleblowers.
“The resolutions on the whistleblowers include amongst others the protection of employees from retaliation, removing caps on compensation of whistleblowers, providing financial rewards and incentives for whistleblowing, protecting whistleblowers’ identity and consolidating whistleblowers’ legal protections,” said Kiviet.
“The PSC has been designated to coordinate and implement the above mentioned resolutions.”
She said more work has been done by the PSC, including developing a policy paper on this.
She added that Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola will soon tighten the law with amendments to the Protected Disclosures Act.
They will revamp the anti-corruption hotline and it will operate 24 hours day, seven days a week.
“The department of justice and constitutional development has already started the process of strengthening the process of whistleblowers through the amendments to the Protected Disclosures Act of 2017,” said Kiviet.
These are all measures necessary to protect whistlebowers.
Kiviet also said her department will develop a guide together with the Witness Protection on what steps whistleblowers need to take when they report corruption in government.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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