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.

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.