House Chairperson,
The urgent need for enhanced protection measures for whistleblowers and witnesses—not only in high‑profile cases—cannot be overstated. South Africa witnesses a deeply troubling pattern of intimidation, harassment, and assassinations against those who dare to expose corruption and testify against powerful figures. This undermines not only the integrity of South Africa’s justice system but also Parliament’s constitutional mandate to safeguard accountability.
This time last year, Pamela Mabini was shot and killed outside her home; a community activist and whistleblower whose testimony played an instrumental role in the arrest of televangelist Timothy Omotoso and others on trial for rape, racketeering, and human trafficking. The plight of whistleblowers such as Athol Williams, Babita Deokaran, Jimmy Mohlala, Martha Ngoye, Cynthia Stimpel, and many others, points to the personal cost, not of whistleblowing, but of government’s apparent disinclination to resolutely implement laws of protection. This is not surprising given the number of public servant criminals exposed in the Zondo and Madlanga Commissions who remain free still awaiting prosecution and incarceration.
President Ramaphosa has repeated a previous commitment to introduce a new Whistleblower Protection Bill in Parliament. This must be passed as soon as possible! We have fallen short in ensuring that protective legislation is updated to meet modern risks, particularly in the digital age where information spreads rapidly and uncontrollably.
The ACDP urges stricter confidentiality protocols protecting the faces and names of witnesses in commissions and courts and the enforcement of sanctions against media outlets that irresponsibly expose identities. Criminal justice experts, such as Dr Tinyiku Ngoveni, have warned that the deaths and threats faced by whistleblowers linked to the Commission seriously jeopardise the credibility of ongoing investigations.
The ACDP has consistently argued that moral courage must be matched by institutional safeguards. We applaud moral courage in whistleblowing as a vital element in the value chain of speaking truth to power and doing what is right. Yet without decisive action, the chilling effect on whistleblowers will silence truth‑telling and embolden corruption.
I thank you.
