Improving Legislative Protection for Whistleblowers of Corruption in South African Municipalities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-6800/17941Keywords:
corruption, local government, municipal governance, whistleblower protection, whistleblowingAbstract
Whistleblowing is widely recognised as a critical mechanism for preventing and combating corruption in South African municipalities. However, whistle-blowers often face severe retaliation, creating a climate of fear that discourages reporting and ultimately undermines anti-corruption efforts. This article explores how legislative protections for whistleblowers can be strengthened to enhance accountability and transparency in local governments. Using a doctrinal research approach, the study identifies essential components of an effective whistleblowing framework and critically evaluates existing South African legislation governing whistleblowing on corruption in municipalities. The analysis reveals significant gaps in legal protection, which demands urgent reform. To address these shortcomings, the article proposes nine key elements that should be incorporated into South African whistleblowing legislation to ensure a robust and secure reporting system.
References
Aneja S, ‘Corporate Good Governance and Whistleblowing in India: A Critical Analysis’ (2022) 1(3) Indian Journal of Legal Review.
Bernasconi M, Carazzini L and Medda T, ‘Whistleblowing and Tax Evasion: Experimental Evidence Whether Whistleblowing Reduces Tax Evasion’ (2022) 11(3) Economic and Political Studies <https://doi.org/10.1080/20954816.2022.2130065>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20954816.2022.2130065
Bron IG, ‘Square Peg in Round Hole? Three Case Studies into Institutional Factors Affecting Public Service Whistleblowing Regimes in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia’ (PhD thesis, Carleton University 2022).
Castuera I, ‘Whistleblowing: How One Man Tried to Stop a Famous Cancer Center From Suppressing an Effective Treatment’ (2022) 81(4) American Journal of Economics and Sociology <https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12480>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12480
Clyde C and Hanifah IA, ‘The Effect of Whistleblowing Systems Toward Fraud Prevention: Mediation of Forensic and Investigative Audit’ (2022) 5(2) Accounting and Financial Review <https://doi.org/10.26905/afr.v5i2.7530>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26905/afr.v5i2.7530
Corruption Watch, Annual Report 2021: 10 Years Pushing for Change (Corruption Watch 2021).
Corruption Watch, Changing the Landscape (Corruption Watch 2023).
Da Costa Fernandes MF, ‘Whistleblowing Disclosure in Leading Sustainable Corporations: A Content Analysis of Whistleblowing Policies’ (Master’s dissertation, Catholic University of Portugal 2022).
Dhewi RM, ‘Mapping of Whistleblowing and Fraud Reporting Research: A Forty-Year Bibliometric Analysis’ (2022) 60 Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences <https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.11>.
Dos Santos JVC, ‘EU Considerations on New Protection of Whistleblowers’ (2022) 15 Journal of the University of Latvia Law <https://doi.org/10.22364/jull.15.17>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22364/jull.15.17
Eato TV and Akers MD, ‘Whistleblowing and Good Governance’ (2007) 77(6) The CPA Journal.
El-Bassiouny D, Kotb A, Elbardan H and El-Bassiouny N, ‘To Blow or Not to Blow the Whistle? An Islamic Framework’ (2022) 187(2) Journal of Business Ethics <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05274-z>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05274-z
Gill P, ‘Intelligence, Oversight and the Ethics of Whistleblowing: The Case of Witness K’ (2022) 28(2) Australian Journal of Human Rights <https://doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2022.2145834>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1323238X.2022.2145834
Gottschalk P, ‘Suspicion of White-collar Crime: A Case Study of Retaliation Against Whistleblowers’ (2022) 32(4) International Criminal Justice Review <https://doi.org/10.1177/1057567718814286>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1057567718814286
Jerrold L, ‘Whistleblowing’ (2022) 163(2) American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2022.11.002
Kang MM and Rubin EV, ‘The Efficacy of Protection: The Effects of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 on the Transportation Security Administration’ (2022) 26(5) International Public Management Journal <https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2022.2124336>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2022.2124336
Kostić J and Boškovič MM, ‘Recommendations for Overcoming Challenges of Whistleblowing in Public Procurement Procedures’ (2022) 15 Journal of the University of Latvia Law <https://doi.org/10.22364/jull.15.05>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22364/jull.15.05
Kun-Buczko M, ‘Poles’ Attitudes to the Concept of Whistleblowing: Historical and Present Background’ (2022) 4(27) Bialystok Legal Studies <https://doi.org/10.15290/bsp.2022.27.04.08>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15290/bsp.2022.27.04.08
Lubisi S and Bezuidenhout H, ‘Blowing the Whistle for Personal Gain in the Republic of South Africa: An Option for Consideration in the Fight Against Fraud?’ (2016) 18(1) Southern African Journal of Accountability and Auditing Research.
Masters AB and Graycar A, ‘Making Corruption Disappear in Local Government’ (2016) 18(1) Public Integrity <https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2015.1093400>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2015.1093400
Michael B and Mendes S, ‘Anti-corruption Law in Local Government: Legal Issues Related to Ordinance Design and Municipal Level Anti-corruption Agencies in Macedonia’ (2012) 54(1) International Journal of Law and Management <https://doi.org/10.1108/17542431211189597>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17542431211189597
National Anti-Corruption Strategy Steering Committee, National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020–2030 (South African Government 2021).
National Planning Commission, National Development Plan 2030: Our Future Make it Work (South African Government 2011).
Nortje JGJ, ‘The Protection of Whistleblowers in South African Criminal Cases’ (2022) 30(6) Journal of Financial Crime <https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-09-2022-0234>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-09-2022-0234
Nurhayati I, Putri VY, Farida RF and Susanti V, ‘Legal Protection for Whistleblowers in the Perspective of the Law on the Protection of Witnesses and Victims in Indonesia’ International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Social Science (Atlantis Press 2022) <https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-83-1_120>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-83-1_120
OECD, G20 Anti-corruption Action Plan: Protection of Whistleblowers (OECD 2014).
OECD, Committing to Effective Whistleblower Protection (OECD 2016).
Ramadhani MA and Trisnaningsih S, ‘Analysis of the Role Whistleblowing System for Fraud Prevention: Theory of Planned Behavior’ (2023) 3(1) International Journal of Management Science and Information Technology <https://doi.org/10.35870/ijmsit.v3i1.860>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35870/ijmsit.v3i1.860
Rood S, ‘Killing Councillors’, News24 (Cape Town, 30 December 2023) <https://specialprojects.news24.com/killing-councillors/index.html#group-section-Fighting-the-scourge-Q9EtMa7nb0> accessed 5 March 2025.
Ryan C, ‘Taung Municipality Whistleblower’s 10-Year Battle for Justice’ MoneyWeb (Johannesburg, 30 March 2021) <https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/taung-municipality-whistleblowers-10-year-battle-for-justice/> accessed 5 March 2025.
Saade M, ‘Women and Whistleblowing’ (2023) 34(1) Hastings Journal on Gender and the Law.
Salauddin A and Ayinde AT, ‘Whistle Blowing Policy in Nigeria: Concerns for Organization Ethical Values’ (2022) 58(320) Discovery.
Sidimba L, ‘Dudu Myeni Reveals Identity of Secret State Capture Witness Mr X, Stunning Justice Zondo’ Independent Online (Cape Town, 5 November 2020).
Tangri R and Mwenda AM, ‘Politics, Donors and the Ineffectiveness of Anti-corruption Institutions in Uganda’ (2006) 44(1) Journal of Modern African Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X05001436
Tilley A, ‘The Price of Speaking Out as a Whistleblower in South Africa is High’ Daily Maverick (Cape Town, 27 August 2018).
Transparency International, ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’ (Transparency International, 2023) <https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020?> accessed 5 March 2025.
UNDP, Institutional Arrangements to Combat Corruption: A Comparative Study (UNDP 2015).
UNODC, Resource Guide on Good Practices in the Protection of Reporting Persons (UNODC 2015).
Vian T, Agnew B and McInnes DK, ‘Whistleblowing as an Anti-corruption Strategy in Health and Pharmaceutical Organizations in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Scoping Review’ (2022) 15(1) Global Health Action <https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2022.2140494>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2022.2140494
Walle YM, ‘A Conceptual Framework of Digital Government for the Success of Whistleblowing in Public Organizations’ (PhD thesis, Sudan University of Science and Technology 2022).
Whistleblower House, Whistleblowing Management Handbook (Whistleblower House, 2020) <https://whistleblowerhouse.org/library/> accessed 5 March 2025.
Wright JS, ‘Legal Perspectives on the Prevention and Minimisation of Corruption for Sustainability in South African Municipalities’ (PhD thesis, North-West University 2021).
Wulfekühler H and Andrason A, ‘“We Don’t Need Another Hero!”: Whistleblowing as an Ethical Organisational Practice in Higher Education’ (2023) 55(7) Educational Philosophy and Theory <https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2152672>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2152672
Yanti HB, Djaja V and Heny D, ‘Determinant Factors of Whistleblowing Intention’ 3rd Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities and Social Science (Atlantis Press 2022) <https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-49-7_129>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-49-7_129
Yunus EN and Kemalasari YA, ‘Should I Blow the Whistle? An In-depth Study Towards Revealing Determinants of Whistleblowing’ 4th Asia Pacific Management Research Conference (Atlantis Press 2022) <https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-076-3_34>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-076-3_34
Legislation
Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v075n050.p060
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.
Companies Act 71 of 2008.
Competition Act 89 of 1998.
Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977.
Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995.
Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003.
National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998.
National Nuclear Regulator Act 47 of 1999.
Nuclear Energy Act 46 of 1999.
Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004.
Protection from Harassment Act 17 of 2011.
Public Disclosures Act 26 of 2000.
Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999.
South African Police Service Act 68 of 1995.
Witness Protection Act 112 of 1998.
Government Notices and Regulations
GeN 396 (9 February 2018) in GG 41436 (The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State).
GN R430 (30 May 2014) in GG 37699 (Municipal Regulations on Financial Misconduct Procedures and Criminal Proceedings, 2014) <https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/37699rg10204gon430.pdf> accessed 15 March 2025.
International Legislation and Legal Instruments
African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2004) 43 ILM 1 <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020782900009724>. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020782900009724
Civil Law Convention on Corruption (1999) EUR/TS/174.
Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the Protection of Persons Who Report Breaches of Union Law <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L1937> accessed 16 February 2023.
Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (1996) 35 ILM <https://doi.org/10.1017/S002078290002427X>.
Republic of Korea, the Protection of Public Interest Whistleblowers Act 10472 of 2011.
SADC Protocol Against Corruption (2001) <https://bit.ly/2VFRigI> accessed 16 March 2025.
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (2003) 43 ILM 5.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
