South Africa urged to strengthen protection for corruption whistleblowers after series of killings — Daily Maverick
In South Africa, the Protected Disclosures Bill, intended to strengthen safeguards for corruption whistleblowers, is under consideration in parliament. It is being discussed against the backdrop of the killings of whistleblowers and human rights defenders, while those who ordered the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran remain at large, Daily Maverick reports.
Reform of whistleblower protection
In August 2021, Babita Deokaran was killed near her home in Johannesburg. The perpetrators of the murder were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 22 years, but those who ordered the crime remain at large. The 2022 Zondo Commission report recommended strengthening legislation on whistleblower protection.
South Africa's Justice Ministry published a discussion paper on reforming the protection system in 2023. The draft Protected Disclosures Bill was put out for public consultation only in April 2026. Following parliamentary debates, the document must be approved by both houses and signed by the president.
In its proposals for the bill, Amnesty International South Africa called for a clearer human rights-based approach, mandatory risk assessments, a whistleblower protection fund, and equal penalties for intimidation and harassment. The organization also insists that whistleblowers and their relatives who have faced persecution must have access to effective financial and other compensation.
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Killings and protection of human rights defenders
The publication cites several other cases of violence against people who raised issues of corruption or worked on related cases. In 2017, Sindiso Magaqa, who raised questions about corruption in the uMzimkhulu municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province, died after being wounded. In March 2023, forensic expert Cloete Murray and his son Thomas were killed in an ambush on the N1 highway in Johannesburg; they had worked on liquidation proceedings related to state capture cases.
In 2025, Ekurhuleni official Mpho Mafolo, who had voiced concerns about a 1.8 billion rand chemical toilet tender, was killed. In March 2026, Emfuleni municipality accountant Martha Mani Rantsofu was shot near a tyre shop in Vanderbijlpark.
Daily Maverick notes that South Africa has no legislative definition of a human rights defender and no separate policy for their protection. The Protected Disclosures Bill does not cover all human rights defenders, including environmental and land activists, community organizers, and journalists.
