DTIC policy of compensating whistleblowers should be extended to all departments

JOHANNESBURG - Whistleblowers who exposed about R2 billion worth of corruption at the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) have had their lives turned upside down.

Some of them were dismissed from their jobs and are suffering emotional and financial distress.

This was revealed in a parliamentary response by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau.

Tau was responding to questions from the Democratic Alliance (DA), saying the NLC will be compensating dismissed whistleblowers.

DA spokesperson on trade, industry and competition, Toby Chance said that this should be extended to other departments within the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

"As a prime example, this policy must extend to the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) which has been plagued by allegations of governance and management failures, brought to the DA's attention by numerous whistleblowers since August 2024. As they suffer similar fates to their colleagues at the NLC, they too should have recourse to a department-wide policy of whistleblower compensation."

DTIC policy of compensating whistleblowers should be extended to all departments - DA

In a reply to a DA Parliamentary question, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau confirmed that the National Lotteries Commission would compensate whistleblowers who helped expose up to R2 billion of corruption.