Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has called for stronger protections for whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists, warning that too many people who stand up against crime and corruption continue to be targeted for doing the right thing.

Organisations across civil society led by Corruption Watch (CW) have called for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to consider extending the deadline for public comments for the Protected Disclosures Bill, 2026. The group notes serious gaps in the current version of the Bill and inadequate public awareness as its reasons.

Families of the late whistle-blowers Jimmy Mohlala and Sammy Mphatlanyane have welcomed the explosive allegations made by suspended Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Daphney Manamela, saying her claims could finally bring long-awaited truth and justice to cases that have haunted them for years.

Experts weigh in on South Africa's proposed bill, highlighting both its potential and significant gaps in safeguarding whistle-blowers.

The Whistleblower House (TWBH) welcomes the long awaited publication of the Protected Disclosures Bill, 2026 for public comment. The Bill represents a meaningful shift in how South Africa approaches whistleblowing and moves closer to recognising the realities faced by those who speak up.

As South Africans have been encouraged to comment on proposed legislation around the protection of whistleblowers, some civil society groups and unions have welcomed the draft bill.

Is the Protected Disclosures Bill a step in the right direction? Executive Director at The Whistleblower House Ben Theron as well as Academic and whistleblower, Dr Athol Williams, discuss the matter on a SABC News broadcast.

South Africa’s whistleblowers are dying. The system, not just its enforcement, must change. Careers are destroyed, livelihoods disappear, families are pulled into hardship, and in the most tragic cases, lives are taken. We all know the name Babita Deokaran. She stood for accountability and she was killed for it. Her death shook the nation. It led to promises. It led to commitments but it did not lead to a system that actually protects those who come forward.

Police say Matipandile Sotheni, once a member of the Special Task Force, Maripandile Sotheni, 41, pulled the trigger in the December drive-by shooting that killed whistleblower Marius van der Merwe.

School learners in Ekurhuleni did not hold back during a stakeholder engagement unpacking South Africa’s National Drug Master Plan (NDMP), confronting officials with blunt questions about drugs in schools, whistleblower protection and whether the government is truly ready to respond.