Non-profit organisation Public Interest SA says it is confident that its detailed written comments submitted on the eve of the deadline set by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the draft Protected Disclosures Bill, 2026 (Whistleblower Bill) will be considered when the final draft of the bill is presented to the National Assembly and the National council of province (NCOP) before it ultimately signed into law by the President.
Thursday marked the closing date for public comments on the bill which was published in April by the department.
The Chairperson of the Public Interest SA Tebogo Khaas told YOU FM Newshour that they welcomed the introduction of the bill as an important and necessary step toward strengthening whistle-blower protections in South Africa.
“This is a necessary step in light of increasing attacks against whistle-blowers, ongoing corruption risks, institutional accountability failures, and recommendations emerging from the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector Including Organs of State,” said Khaas.
Khaas highlighted that the organisation’s submission recognises several progressive features contained in the bill, including the expansion of protection beyond employees, recognition of related persons, confidentiality protections, anti-retaliation safeguards, provision for anonymous disclosures, and efforts to strengthen institutional accountability.
He has, however, cautioned that the bill, in its current form, still contains significant constitutional, institutional, operational, and implementation shortcomings that may undermine its effectiveness if not strengthened before enactment.
“We advanced key recommendations which among others includes the establishment of an independent Whistle-blower Protection and Integrity Commission insulated from political interference, creation of a dedicated Whistle-blower Protection and Support Fund, utilisation of the Criminal Assets Recovery Account to support whistle-blower protection measures, educational support up to tertiary level for dependants of fallen whistle-blowers, enhanced physical protection, emergency relocation, and rapid-response intervention mechanisms,” added Khaas.
The organisation’s Chairperson emphasised that whistle-blower protection must be treated not merely as a labour or compliance issue, but as an urgent constitutional, governance, and public safety imperative.
“South Africa’s constitutional democracy depends significantly on individuals willing to expose corruption, maladministration, abuse of power, and threats to the public interest.
Those individuals require not symbolic protection, but real, enforceable, practical, and adequately resourced protection,” remarked Khaas.
He expressed hope that the final legislation will emerge as a genuinely effective and life-saving instrument capable of strengthening ethical governance and protecting vulnerable public-interest actors.
