Overview
- Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, speaking in Pretoria on Thursday, released a draft law and invited comments via the department’s website until May 14.
- The bill sets secure reporting channels and clear definitions of disclosures and harmful reprisals to protect people in both the public and private sectors.
- It protects a whistle-blower’s identity and offers access to the state’s witness protection program and legal aid for those who cannot afford a lawyer.
- A retired judge would oversee a complaints process and a central database would track cases with firm timelines of five days to acknowledge and ten days to decide, and the bill criminalises unlawful disclosure and retaliation.
- The draft draws on the Zondo Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council’s recommendations and aims to prevent deadly reprisals like the killing of Babita Deokoran while aligning with global standards.