The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the proposed Public Procurement Amendment Bill (Private Member’s Bill – Honourable Ms. M. Kobe, Member of Parliament).  It responds positively to calls repeatedly made by COSATU at Nedlac and Parliament to overhaul the Protected Disclosures and the Public Procurement Acts. 

COSATU is pleased that the Bill provides incentives for whistleblowers whose disclosures lead to successful convictions and the recovery of stolen state assets, to receive between 15% and 25 % of the recovered funds.  Rewarding whistleblowers will be a major boost in the war against state capture and crime.  It will help incentivise whistleblowers to risk their careers and lives and enable them to relocate and start afresh.  This will ease the burden on a state whose ability to protect and relocate whistleblowers will always be limited.

The Federation appreciates further provisions protecting whistleblowers from victimisation, including increasing the sanctions for acts of intimidation to up to 20 years in prison.  Proposed provisions enabling private prosecutions will send a clear message of consequences to those who steal from the state.

Whilst the Federation supports this bold and progressive Private Member’s Bill, we urge the Member, Ms. Kobe, and the Ministers for Justice and Constitutional Development, Ms. M. Kubayi, and Finance, Mr. E. Godongwana, to urgently engage on this matter as the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is currently finalising an executive Bill also seeking to strengthen the Protected Disclosures Act.  A single combined and comprehensive Bill(s) containing these progressive provisions will be an invaluable weapon in the war against state capture and corruption.

COSATU will engage both the Member of Parliament, Ms. Kobe, and the Ministers to urge such discussions and to offer its full support to these progressive legislative amendments.  This is a war that workers who have paid the price for state capture and corruption, and whistleblowers who have lost their lives, need to see won.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za