Refuge for whistleblowers
A ‘safe house’ organisation has been created to support those who lift the lid on corruption
Whistleblowing is regarded by the public at large as noble. But often those exposing corruption are treated as pariahs, with some struggling to find work again, living with constant harassment and even paying with their lives.
President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted to the Zondo commission that “whistleblowers have not had a great time”.
“They have been subjected to enormous pressures. Pressures that have affected them personally, professionally, career-wise,” he said. “There have been brave men and women in our country who, because of corruption, blew the whistle. I regret that, in some instances, they have not been treated well.”
Two whistleblowers have been murdered, at least.
Babita Deokaran, a senior official in the Gauteng department of health, was shot dead in her car in Joburg, and Saber Tayob, an auditor in Polokwane who was killed by assassins while jogging, may also have alerted authorities to corruption. Ramaphosa called Deokaran a hero and a patriot.
He paid tribute to “legions of whistleblowers who, at great risk to themselves, help to unearth misdeeds, maladministration, cronyism and theft”.
Too often such words are empty. “Whistleblowers are often castigated, victimised and harmed,” says Ivan Pillay, a former SA Revenue Service (Sars) deputy commissioner. “They have negligible or nonexistent support and protection.”
Now words of support are being given substance with the establishment of Whistleblower House, which aims to give whistleblowers support and access to professional services. “We have assembled a formidable team to drive this initiative, and we hope state institutions, businesses and civil societies will rally behind us to ensure the success of this endeavour,” says Pillay.
In 2019, research by The Ethics Institute (TEI) found that 61% of people had witnessed misconduct in the previous year but only half had reported this. “They did not believe that anything could be done, they did not know whom to contact, they were afraid that they may be victimised, they feared for their safety, they didn’t believe that they could report anonymously,” says Liezl Groenewald, senior manager of organisational ethics at TEI. “But what is important for us is that 32% said they were afraid they would be victimised at work. Civil society needs to step in and that is why Whistleblower House was established. The vision of Whistleblower
House is to minimise the adverse impact on whistleblowers.” “What we want to do is to support whistleblowers,” says Ben Theron, a fraud examiner and seasoned operations executive. Whistleblower House will facilitate access to legal services, health, financial risk management and advice regarding media. “Quite often the media is abused and we need to assist. Engaging public and private sector institutions, engaging the media and support groups is a critical step that we need to ensure that whistleblowers get acknowledgment and we start celebrating them.”
As the organisation engaged with whistleblowers, a common thread emerged: whistleblowers are caught off guard and are bewildered by the complexity and range of matters suddenly confronting them.
“Whistleblowers lose income when they lose their jobs and Whistleblower House will attempt to raise funds to assist whistleblowers for daily living expenses such as groceries, rent or bond, utilities as well as transport and airtime. This will allow the whistleblower to at least survive,” says Theron.
Whistleblower House will also build relationships with financial institutions and negotiate on the whistleblower’s behalf for paid holidays, reduced interest rates and even debt cancellation in specific instances. “The idea is to alleviate the burden the whistleblower carries,” says Theron.
Whistleblower House also hopes to create awareness of the importance of speaking out without fear. “Whistleblowers do not set out to become whistleblowers,” says Cynthia Stimpel, who revealed corruption at SAA. “One does not expect the reaction received: the hostility, the anger, the threats, which lead to the loneliness, the shame, the fear and the poverty that result from it.
“Potential employers are hesitant, even scared to employ you as they have this perception that you are difficult and may cause problems for them. This is the plight of every whistleblower. We suffer the damage of losing our jobs and becoming this pariah.
“We are excluded. We become the outcasts of society and we have to struggle all over again.”