Variables influencing the outcomes of the whistle blowing process in South Africa

Abstract

Whistle blower protection in South Africa becomes a point of contention every time a disclosure is made and the whistle blower is murdered or victimised. The purpose of this article is to describe the variables that will influence the decision to blow the whistle in the South African environment in order to counter act possible re-active outcomes. It provides an overview of the current scenario of whistle blower protection in South Africa. The article argues that in order to make a protected disclosure, public managers and the whistle blower must understand the whistle blowing process as prescribed by the South African Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 and that organisations must establish a whistle blowing process that meets the needs, not only of the organisation, but also of the individual whistle blower.