Calls for better legislation are good and necessary, but the protection of whistleblowers is not just the responsibility of the State. Liezl Groenewald breaks down where the responsibility lies.
The Protected Disclosures Amendment Act is not enough to protect whistleblowers.
Liezl Groenewald
South Africans have recently again been made aware of the poor treatment whistleblowers receive.
In their testimonies at the Zondo Commission in March 2021, two specific whistleblowers - a former partner at Bain SA, Athol Williams, and former Trillian Management Consulting CEO Bianca Goodson - brought the plight of whistleblowers to the attention of not only Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, but also the nation.
In reaction to Goodson s breakdown during her testimony, Zondo expressed his concern about the lack of protection to whistleblowers and his interest in evaluating the adequacy or otherwise of protection of whistleblowers in South Africa.