No action against those victimising whistle-blowers, says Ronald Lamola

Justice minister Ronald Lamola says the level of reprisal to which whistle-blowers are being subjected is proving to be counterintuitive to the laudable goals of whistle-blowing, which aims to expose unethical organisational cultures through detection and protection.

“Quite clearly in our context there appears to be a gap in the overall intention of what the Public Disclosures Act seeks to do,” Lamola said at a conference on the reform of the criminal justice administration. 

He said one gap the department identified was that government departments and companies implicated by whistle-blowers were not held accountable for victimising those who exposed corruption and unethical practices.

“The second gap we have identified is how we can transition whistle-blowers into witnesses in criminal cases where possible.

“In direct response to the recommendation by the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, comparative research is being done on the incentivisation of whistle-blowers,” Lamola said.

The minister paid tribute to all the whistle-blowers who have come forward to reveal the underbelly of unethical conduct and corruption in the public and private sectors.

“You are the good people who refused to look on and do nothing. In many cases this has come at a great cost to yourselves and your families.”

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