SAHRC asks treasury for funds to protect whistleblowers

This week the SAHRC held a roundtable discussion in Sandton focusing on the role of constitutional organs in protecting the whistleblowers. The discussion sought to explore in detail the role constitutional bodies have to play in providing a safe haven for those whistleblowers on matters of national interest.

The SAHRC says it has moral and constitutional obligations to ensure that whistleblowers are protected because of the important role they play in a democratic society.

The SAHRC’s chief executive Tseliso Thipanyane says about R4 million has been spent in taking up cases related to the safety and security of whistleblowers in South Africa.

Thipanyane says the SAHRC has taken two cases to court and conducted two summits this year on whistleblowers.

“The events have included whistleblowers as well as the number of bodies, and constitutional entities, which are listed in the Public Interest Disclosures Act to see how we can work together to address the challenges that whistleblowers face, the impact and the role whistleblowers play in the fight against corruption and abuse of power,”

he says.

Thipanyane says the SAHRC has approached the National Treasury to secure funding in order to continue work towards protecting and assisting whistleblowers.

STATE CAPTURE WHISTLEBLOWERS HAVE HOMES TARGETTED

Former Government Communication and Information System head and one of many State Capture whistleblowers Themba Maseko said two men were on the roof above his bedroom on Friday, 14 January.

“At about 03:15 this morning we were woken up by noises on our roof directly above my bedroom. I woke up, checked through the bathroom window, saw a thug on the roof,”

said Maseko.

Maseko said there were no signs of forced entry at his property and his electric fence did not trigger the alarm.

Only days later, former South African Revenue Service executive Johann van Loggerenberg – also one of the Zondo Commission’s whistleblowers – had his house burgled.

In a statement at the time, van Loggerenberg said his home and home office were invaded during the early hours of Tuesday morning “by criminals.”

“Given the poor state of our criminal justice system and the high crime levels in South Africa, it may simply be of a general criminal nature. However, entry was attempted with some sophistication via various entry points at my home in a very suspicious manner,”

said van Loggerenberg.