Expert: 'Government not serious about exposing corruption'

KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas says the refusal to grant whistleblowers protection suggests that government leaders have no wish to expose corruption.

This comes after police minister Bheki Cele’s decision to take under judicial review a Public Protector report compelling the police to provide protection for two whistleblowers in the Sindiso Magaqa murder case.

The whistleblowers‚ Thabiso Zulu and Les Stuta‚ testified before the Moerane commission of inquiry into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal in November last year.

In their testimony‚ they claimed that Magaqa had passed documentation on to the Hawks that allegedly proved corruption in the tender for upgrading Umzimkhulu memorial hall‚ which ballooned from R4 million to R37 million.

“The failure of the minister to provide security for two men who have risked their own safety and that of their families‚ even if he is proceeding with a review‚ is extraordinary and inexplicable‚” De Haas said.

She added that Cele’s lack of action cannot be distanced from that of the ANC government of which he is part.

“The silence of his colleagues suggests that there is tacit approval for his course of action‚ those in influential positions who know well‚ from their own personal experience‚ what it is like to live in constant danger of attack and among those who bear moral responsibility for the plight of these two men is the premier‚ Willies Mchunu‚” she explained.

The Moerane commission of inquiry was set up by Mchunu to investigate the spate of killings in the province suspected to be politically motivated.

Despite both men continuing to receive death threats after exposing corruption allegations and a threat assessment conducted by the State Security Agency in April‚ advising that the two “urgently require protection from the state” and should be provided with “individual private protection”‚ they have not received any protection.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane said in her report this exposed the men to the risk of being assassinated and ordered for the duo be provided with the requisite security at state expense.

Cele’s spokesperson Reneilwe Serero said the minister had “serious reservations” about the findings and the remedial actions recommended by Mkhwebane. De Haas said if the government was serious about wanting to stamp out corruption‚ Zulu and Stuta should be held up as heroes‚ starting with affording them the protection they urgently needed.