The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for a comprehensive department-wide policy on whistleblower compensation, following recent revelations about whistleblowers within the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) who exposed up to R2 billion in corrupt grants. This request comes after Trade, Industry, and Competition Minister Parks Tau confirmed that the NLC would compensate whistleblowers for their significant losses, providing a measure of redress for those who have sacrificed their personal and financial well-being in the fight against corruption.
Toby Chance, DA’s spokesperson on Trade, Industry & Competition, has welcomed Tau’s announcement but emphasized that such a policy should extend beyond the NLC to cover all entities under the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC), including the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). SABS has faced its own share of turmoil, with multiple allegations of mismanagement and governance failures surfacing since August 2024. Chance’s stance is clear: while compensation for whistleblowers at the NLC is a positive step, it must be a precedent that applies department-wide, offering protection and financial support to those who risk everything to expose corruption.
“These whistleblowers have faced devastating consequences,” Chance said, acknowledging the hardships that individuals like Jodi Scholtz, NLC Commissioner, have highlighted. Tau confirmed that the affected whistleblowers had suffered substantial personal and financial damage following their dismissals, yet the reparation process remains vague, with no clarity on whether compensation will cover lost income or only address specific hardships. Despite the significant challenges faced by these individuals, the DA is pushing for a far-reaching policy that recognizes the broader scope of retaliation faced by whistleblowers across government entities.
The DA has raised concerns not just about the NLC, but also about SABS, which has been embroiled in ongoing allegations of governance failures. Chance pointed out that the whistleblowers within SABS have faced similar consequences to their counterparts at the NLC, and therefore should be entitled to the same support and protection. The DA’s request for a comprehensive policy is aimed at ensuring consistency in how whistleblowers are treated across all state institutions, and to promote a culture of transparency and accountability within government entities.
In addition to calling for a whistleblower compensation policy, Chance has taken further steps to address the governance issues plaguing SABS. He wrote to Mswandile Masina, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition, urging him to summon Minister Tau to account for his lack of action in appointing an independent inquiry into the ongoing allegations of mismanagement at SABS. While Masina has agreed to the request in principle, a meeting date has yet to be scheduled. For the DA, this is just one part of a broader campaign to hold the government to account for its failure to deal with corruption and mismanagement effectively.
The DA has made it clear that clean and transparent governance must become the standard in South Africa’s state institutions. In their view, one of the essential ways to achieve this is to ensure that whistleblowers are treated fairly and justly for their efforts in exposing corruption and misconduct. The party asserts that the government must not only protect whistleblowers but also ensure they are adequately compensated for the personal and professional risks they face. By establishing a robust, department-wide compensation policy, the DA believes the government can send a strong message that those who work to expose wrongdoing will be safeguarded, rather than punished, for their courage.
With the calls for policy reform growing louder, the DA’s push for whistleblower compensation reflects broader concerns about accountability and transparency in South Africa’s public sector. While the government has taken some steps in the right direction, many believe that more needs to be done to foster an environment where truth-telling is rewarded, not penalized. As the pressure mounts on Minister Tau and other leaders to act decisively, the treatment of whistleblowers will likely remain a central issue in the ongoing battle to root out corruption and restore public trust in government institutions.
