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A man with a mask holding a whistleblower board.
The Whistleblower Protection Bill seeks to address gaps in existing legislation, according to Sentebale Makara, Director for Dispute Resolution at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
The recent burial of crime activist and whistleblower Pamela Mabini has renewed calls for stronger protections for individuals who report corruption and crime. President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to finalising a comprehensive framework under the new bill.
Makara says the bill marks progress in strengthening protections.
“There’s no system that is foolproof, but certainly a step in the right direction. One of the things that it does is that it removes some of the existing litigation limitations with the Protected Disclosures Act, which only deals with employers, it doesn’t deal with contractors and external contractors, for example, independent contractors,” Makara says.
The bill introduces an incentive mechanism and considers protections for whistleblowers’ family members, creating a broader safety net, she adds.
