SAPS whistleblower still living in fear years after exposing police corruption

A South African Police Service (SAPS) corruption whistleblower, Patricia Morgan-Mashale, says she hasn’t received any protection from government following death threats and attempts on her life after exposing police corruption.

The former Free State SAPS administrative clerk was reportedly dismissed from her job last year and has been in hiding since February.

She says she survived two assassination attempts.

Mashale says she is pleading for protection from government, as she is living in fear, after claiming she blew the whistle on massive corruption within the police service which would implicate a number of high-ranking officials.

“Just last week there was an attempted assassination in the car l was travelling in was chased by a black Ford Ranger and if it wasn’t for my son-in-law, I would not be here today.”

“The government has not offered me any form of protection. The police wanted the crime intelligence officer to change the contents of the threat assessment because it implemented high-ranking police officers,” says Morgan-Mashale.

Elvis Preslin spoke to Morgan-Mashale on current affairs show, First Take:

Protection of whistleblowers 

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it has moral and constitutional obligations to ensure that whistleblowers are protected because of the important role they play in fighting corruption.

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

The commission has also since approached National Treasury to seek funding to support the protection of whistleblowers.

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

Two prominent whistleblowers – Johann van Loggerenberg who is a former South African Revenue Service (SARS) executive, and former GCIS boss Themba Maseko, were burgled in January following the report’s release.

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

The former head of legal services at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Martha Ngoye, who also testified before the commission says she feels unprotected.

State Capture Report | Report calls for protection of whistleblowers: