HRC approaches Treasury for funding to help protect whistleblowers

The South African Human Rights Commission says it has approached the National Treasury to seek funding to support the protection of whistleblowers.

The commission says it has already spent about R4 million in taking up cases related to the safety and security of whistleblowers in the country.

Chief Executive Officer Tseliso Thipanyane says because of the role whistleblowers play in fighting corruption, the commission has moral and constitutional obligation to protect them.

“We have taken two cases to court. And then we have approached the Treasury to give us some money around issues of whistleblowers.

We had two summits this year on whistleblowers, including whistleblowers themselves as well as the number of constitutional bodies which are listed in the public disclosures act to see how we can work together to address the challenges that whistleblowers are facing and the impact and the role whistleblowers play in the fight against corruption and abuse of power.”

Whistleblowers for Change respond to the Commission’s report:

Since the release of the State Capture Inquiry report, concerns have emerged about the safety of whistleblowers, who provided key testimony at the Commission.

This after the homes of two prominent whistleblowers, Johann van Loggerenberg who is a former South African Revenue Service (SARS) executive, and former GCIS boss Themba Maseko, were burgled following the report release.

The incidents have triggered alarm among other whistleblowers who have questioned the timing of these incidents.