Whistle-blowing: challenges vs. triumphs

INTERNATIONAL Anti-Corruption Day is observed annually on December 9, a date marked this year by the inaugural Babita Deokaran Annual Lecture hosted by Stellenbosch University’s School for Public Leadership.

- CHRIS JONES PREGALA PILLAY

This lecture serves as a memorial to her courageous act of whistle-blowing against corruption, an act that ultimately cost her life but established a profound and lasting legacy.

This occasion also marks the launch of a new book titled Whistle-blowing and Whistle-blowers in Africa – Promoting Accountable and Ethical Societies, which we edited with Purshottama Reddy and Sakhile Zondi. The book explores the difficulties faced by whistle-blowers in Africa and the mechanisms designed to ensure accountability.

Whistle-blowing plays an essential role in strengthening democracy and fighting corruption by uncovering misconduct, fraud, and abuses of power. It is a cornerstone of transparency, ethical governance, and the protection of public resources. Whistle-blowers often expose systemic problems, such as bribery and corruption, that might otherwise remain hidden, prompting institutional reforms and legal consequences for wrongdoing.

However, despite their crucial contributions, many whistle-blowers endure retaliation, intimidation, or even fatal consequences - particularly when confronting deeply rooted corruption.

When faced with degenerative behaviour, individuals in both public and private sectors often respond in one of three ways:

• Exit: The most common response, involving resignation or transfer to escape an unsatisfactory environment.

• Raise concern: Voicing grievances about unfair practices - the essence of whistle-blowing - allowing an organisation to identify and correct its flaws.

• Loyalty: Choosing silence or compliance with unethical practices, either partially or fully.