The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting whistleblowers and restoring ethical governance in South Africa.
Speaking at the inaugural Annual Babita Deokaran Lecture on Tuesday, the Minister honoured the bravery of whistleblowers and condemned the recent assassination of Marius van der Merwe, also known as “Witness D, “who was shot and killed outside his home in Brakpan last Friday.
Hlabisa described this incident as a “national wake up call” during the lecture that celebrated the courage and achievements of whistleblowers.
Key witness
This as the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research (ACCERUS) at Stellenbosch University’s School of Public Leadership launched the Babita Deokaran Annual Lecture.
This initiative commemorates four years since the assassination of Deokaran on 23 August 2021, outside her home in Johannesburg.
At that time, she was the Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Gauteng Department of Health and a key witness in investigations related to the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Deokaran’s fearless exposure of corruption, which included halting over R850 million in suspicious payments at Tembisa Hospital, made her a symbol of integrity.
The PPE scandal refers to widespread corruption, overpricing, and mismanagement in the procurement of protective gear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legacy
During the lecture, Hlabisa paid tribute to Deokaran’s legacy and called for stronger protections for truth-tellers.
The Minister outlined key commitments, including fast-tracking the Whistleblower Protection Bill, introducing mandatory municipal whistleblower protocols, enforcing accountability through the powers of the Auditor-General South Africa (AG), and establishing a Whistleblower Security Compact with law enforcement agencies.
These reforms aim to create a safer environment for whistleblowers, restore public trust, and embed ethical governance at the local level.
“Babita was killed because she blocked the flow of illicit payments. Witness D was killed because he lifted the veil on collusion. We will not honour their sacrifice with platitudes but with policy, protection, and accountability. Truth-tellers must never stand alone,” said Hlabisa.
Criminalising threats
The platform was used to commit to accelerating the Whistleblower Protection Bill, expanding its coverage beyond employees.
This includes criminalising threats, enabling anonymous disclosures, and funding legal, security, and psychosocial support for whistleblowers.
The Minister also called for the implementation of mandatory safe-reporting frameworks in all municipalities, which would be linked to oversight from the AG and would have financial consequences for non-compliance.
He spoke about the need for the enforcement of remedial actions, the issuance of certificates of debt for ignored directives, and the establishment of public dashboards to track corruption cases.
Hlabisa emphasised the importance of coordinated threat assessments and rapid protection measures in partnership with law enforcement and oversight bodies, advocating for transparent procurement and strict consequences for irregular expenditures.
He encouraged formal collaboration with anti-corruption organisations for training, analytics, and community reporting platforms.
Truth-tellers
Speakers from academia, civil society, and government stressed that protecting truth-tellers is essential for ethical governance and democracy, not merely optional.
Inspired by Deokaran’s extraordinary courage, they called for urgent reforms, including the establishment of an Independent Whistleblower Protection Office, sustainable funding through a Whistle Protection Fund, a secure national reporting platform, and support for families, livelihoods, digital security, trauma care, and reintegration into the workforce.
Hlabisa’s keynote address coincided with the commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day, themed “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.”
This day serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility of governments, leaders, civil society, the private sector, and citizens to confront corruption in all its forms.
In South Africa, Hlabisa stated that combating corruption remains a government priority, with ongoing measures to strengthen law enforcement, enhance prosecutorial capacity, and protect whistleblowers.
