Former South African Airways treasurer and whistleblower Cynthia Stimpel speaks with Polity about the new organisation Whistleblower House, launched in February, as a civil society intervention to protect whistleblowers and provide them with access to services such as medical and psychological, legal and financial assistance. The organisation is chaired by former deputy commissioner of SARS Ivan Pillay, with ethics expert Liezl Groenewald, High Court attorney Martha Ngoye, Stimpel and former Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chief operating officer Ben Theron as directors.
The not-for-profit Whistleblower House, which aims to protect and support whistle-blowers and acknowledge their vital role in society, had its official launch on Tuesday, during which several whistle-blowers spoke candidly about the immense difficulties they’ve faced in exposing wrongdoing.
Four out of 10 whistleblowers have experienced retaliation in the workplace after reporting misconduct, according to a new organisation established to protect those who speak up. This victimisation is just the start of the discrimination the average whistleblower will face and many find themselves unemployed and facing legal battles, according to the organisation.