Corruption has become an endemic problem in South Africa.  It undermines democracy and impacts negatively on service delivery, human and socio-economic development, job creation and public trust in government, as well as investor confidence in the country.

 

The short course in Whistle-blower Protection in Municipalities identifies the various aspects relating to corruption and unethical conduct in societies as well as remedies that are presented as solutions to these societal issues. These solutions include disclosure of alleged wrongdoing (also known as whistleblowing) which is a contentious issue and even more the protection of those that decide to disclose the alleged wrongdoing.

 

This short course will focus on determining the culture of the municipal environment in terms of the precedence of perceived corrupt activities, whistle-blower protection, the required steps as stipulated by the 2017 Protected Disclosures Act, the creation of a conducive organisational environment to encourage and protect whistle-blowers, and creating a common understanding on what is deemed as alleged wrongdoing within a municipal environment. During the course, the various policies available in municipalities will also be discussed.