Whistle-blowers need to be supported, not targeted
We need to start by recognising our power — and our responsibility — as ordinary citizens. We have a right to justice and a duty to be vigilant
A new survey by the Anti-Intimidation and Ethical Practices Forum paints a grim picture of the state of ethics in SA businesses. According to the survey, 2018 marks a sharp drop in ethical sentiment among business professionals. One in four people believes that financial success is more important than doing the right thing. In 2017, 60% of public-sector respondents agreed that private-sector leaders were ethical. That number plummeted to 17% in 2018, and a disturbing 25% of public-sector workers say they fear for their life when reporting wrongdoing. These results are hardly shocking. These last few years have given us ample proof that whistle-blowers become targets in SA. Regardless of the sector, the fallout seems to follow the same pattern. For whistle-blowers who speak up in the corporate world or at the municipal government level, the backlash is severe. I became a whistle-blower one year ago, when I testified before the parliamentary inquiry into state capture at Eskom. Lately...
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