Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers

South Africa's recent history has been marred by revelations of state capture, which came to the public fore, in part, because of the disclosures of whistleblowers. These whistleblowers enacted the role of the Night's Watch, much like the eponymous military order in George R. R. Martin...

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Main Author: Radulović Ugljesa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade 2025-01-01
Series:NBP: Nauka, bezbednost, policija
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-8872/2025/0354-88722501037R.pdf
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author Radulović Ugljesa
author_facet Radulović Ugljesa
author_sort Radulović Ugljesa
collection DOAJ
description South Africa's recent history has been marred by revelations of state capture, which came to the public fore, in part, because of the disclosures of whistleblowers. These whistleblowers enacted the role of the Night's Watch, much like the eponymous military order in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire high fantasy novels. Utilizing a qualitative approach encompassing two research methods, this paper establishes that whistleblowers protected South Africa alone like a fire burning against the cold, being subjected to various forms of retaliation. The frequency and severity of retaliation was the result of inadequate whistleblower protection legislation. In the absence of adequate legislation, it was civil society that interceded to provide the whistleblowers several forms of support. In light of these findings, this paper puts forward recommendations for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers. It proposes that it is necessary to revise whistleblower protection law by applying provisions from a number of effective global instruments. It also argues for the establishment of an independent state apparatus concerned with supporting whistleblowers and consolidating civil society efforts.
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publisher University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade
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spelling doaj-art-b838d062661446c5aa63906d6e232b622025-02-05T13:16:09ZengUniversity of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, BelgradeNBP: Nauka, bezbednost, policija0354-88722620-04062025-01-01301375010.5937/nabepo30-546680354-88722501037RWho will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowersRadulović Ugljesa0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0245-9857University of Johannesburg, South AfricaSouth Africa's recent history has been marred by revelations of state capture, which came to the public fore, in part, because of the disclosures of whistleblowers. These whistleblowers enacted the role of the Night's Watch, much like the eponymous military order in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire high fantasy novels. Utilizing a qualitative approach encompassing two research methods, this paper establishes that whistleblowers protected South Africa alone like a fire burning against the cold, being subjected to various forms of retaliation. The frequency and severity of retaliation was the result of inadequate whistleblower protection legislation. In the absence of adequate legislation, it was civil society that interceded to provide the whistleblowers several forms of support. In light of these findings, this paper puts forward recommendations for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers. It proposes that it is necessary to revise whistleblower protection law by applying provisions from a number of effective global instruments. It also argues for the establishment of an independent state apparatus concerned with supporting whistleblowers and consolidating civil society efforts.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-8872/2025/0354-88722501037R.pdfwhistleblowingprotectionsupportsouth africa
spellingShingle Radulović Ugljesa
Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
NBP: Nauka, bezbednost, policija
whistleblowing
protection
support
south africa
title Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
title_full Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
title_fullStr Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
title_full_unstemmed Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
title_short Who will protect the night's Watch? Legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of South African whistleblowers
title_sort who will protect the night s watch legislative reform and a state apparatus for the comprehensive shielding of south african whistleblowers
topic whistleblowing
protection
support
south africa
url https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-8872/2025/0354-88722501037R.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT radulovicugljesa whowillprotectthenightswatchlegislativereformandastateapparatusforthecomprehensiveshieldingofsouthafricanwhistleblowers