Whistleblowing wrongdoing and corruption in local government is essential to building a just and transparent South African society. Over the years, billions of rands have been stolen from communities by corrupt councillors, officials and companies contracted to deliver services. We can’t fight this without whistleblowers.
Unfortunately, whistleblowing also comes with significant risks. If you witness or learn of corruption, it's critical to report it and take steps to become a whistleblower. However, we advise you to read the full article before making contact, as it has important advice to help you on your journey.
Pathways to report corruption
Government Anti-Corruption Hotlines
Call the National Anti-Corruption Hotline: 0800 701 701
Call the SAPS Anti-Corruption Hotline: 0800 43 43 73
Corruption Watch
Corruption Watch is a civil society organisation that has a secure online whistleblowing platform that will allow you to report corruption anonymously and connect you to the right channels for your specific issue. Corruption Watch will directly investigate only a small portion of complaints received, especially those in the public interest. For those they do not investigate, they will refer your complaint to the right people.
The Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
If you witness or learn of offences including fraud, forgery, theft, organised crime or money laundering, you can report them to the National Prosecuting Authority. You can contact id_leads@npa.gov.za to do so.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA)
OUTA is a civil action organisation that exposes government corruption and the abuse of public funds through investigations and legal action. If you have strong evidence of serious corruption in the public sector, you can confidentially whistleblow to them.
What to know before you whistleblow
1. Whistleblowing involves risk
Depending on the seriousness of the suspected corruption and who is involved, whistleblowing can lead to unfair treatment and punishment. You may be harassed, isolated, disciplined without good reason, demoted, or even lose your job. In the most severe cases, whistleblowers have faced violence or threats to their safety.
2. Whistleblowers in South Africa are legally protected
The Protected Disclosures Act No. 26 of 2000 (PDA) protects workers and employees who report corruption and wrongdoing related to their employer in both the public and private sectors. It is intended to allow people to report suspected misconduct without worrying about reprisal. According to the Public Disclosures Act, a whistleblower does not need to fully prove the existence of wrongdoing to be protected. However, it's important to have evidence or strong grounds for suspicion before you report corruption. Although the Protected Disclosures Act does not protect whistleblowers who are not employees, if you are a member of the general public who experiences any negative responses after reporting corruption, you can apply for a protection order as part of the Protection from Harassment Act, No 17 of 2011.
3. There are steps you can take to protect yourself
Use secure reporting channels that allow you to keep your identity confidential. It’s possible to stay anonymous by reporting through channels that do not reveal your identity. Choose the reporting channel according to what feels safest.
Know your role. As a whistleblower, your responsibility is to report, but not to investigate. If you know enough to report, don’t unnecessarily put yourself at risk to find out more. Any investigations you do may alert suspects and disrupt later formal investigations.
Seek support and legal advice. Organisations like Whistleblower House, the Open Democracy Advice Centre, and Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa provide legal support and actively work to secure the safety and security of whistleblowers. Many of these organisations offer their services for free. If you are a witness who provides evidence of a crime in court, you will be protected by the Office for Witness Protection as part of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Be careful with social media. If you have concerns about harassment or other problems that could occur as a result of whistleblowing, take steps to delete or make private any information on social media that shows sensitive information about you and your family.
Know your rights. For a more detailed guide to protecting yourself as a whistleblower, consult the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa’s Whistleblower Protection Guidebook here.
Reporting corruption if you work for local government
According to Corruption Watch, a significant number of the whistleblower complaints they receive come from people who work in local government. Reporting corruption in local government is essential to creating better-functioning municipalities.
Report internally: If you feel comfortable doing so, report corruption to your supervisor or manager, HR, or a designated ethics officer. Keep all records for the sake of later investigations. Save emails, make notes of meetings, and follow up in writing.
Report externally: If attempts to use internal channels to report corruption have failed or you are afraid of using them because you think senior officials may be involved, you may also refer the entire matter to an external organisation or institution, such as Corruption Watch, Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), the SAPS, Hawks or the Public Protector.
Report it to the media: If you have exhausted all other channels, reporting the corruption to the media may help to hold wrongdoers accountable. ****If you go to the media, make sure that you are prepared for the matter to be in the public space, as once the story is out there, you cannot retract it. You should also be aware that in some cases, prematurely reporting wrongdoing to the media – or posting on social media – can forfeit some legal protections in the Protected Disclosures Act, so it's a good idea to seek legal advice first.
Whistleblowing can be a long, often lonely and difficult experience with professional and personal impacts. But whistleblowers are indispensable in protecting public resources and fighting for more transparency and integrity in local government. Many of South Africa’s biggest corruption cases have only come to light thanks to ordinary people who spoke up.
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