SIU

Background

The Transparency, Integrity and Accountability Programme (TIP) in South Africa supports the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and strives to mobilise citizens, strengthen institutional capacity and foster multi-stakeholder engagement to fight corruption in the country. Whistleblowers play a critical role in supporting
investigators, and although they are legislatively protected, in practice, they are often exposed and left vulnerable.

This course combines the whistleblowing expertise and on-the-ground experience of GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation), The Whistleblower House, The Special Investigating Unit, as well as local and
international whistleblowing experts, to bring you a practical resource to use as a guide before, during and after investigations.

Purpose

This course is a response to the need for more support to investigators of whistleblowing and anti-corruption reports and cases. It is not intended as a study intensive course but as a friendly companion, a ‘guide on the go’ to accompany you as you work on new whistleblowing cases within your investigative space.

The short course aims to:

1. Develop investigators’ understanding, knowledge and skills to support and protect whistleblowers in their crucial role.
2. Enhance investigators’ skills to build a rapport with whistleblowers, manage the investigative process, minimise potential harm to the whistleblower, and improve the quality of the investigation.
3. Enable investigators to engage more fruitfully with whistleblowers in a mutually beneficial way that minimises harm to both parties.
4. Help investigators to reflect on and address gaps in protecting the identity and anonymity of whistleblowers practically.
5. Help investigators effectively apply policies and legal requirements for interacting with whistleblowers during and after investigations.

Target Audience:
The audience will be new or seasoned professionals involved in investigating whistleblower cases across the public, private and non-profit sectors in South Africa.
Investigators can range from public officials such as fraud investigators, the South African Police Service, Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Hawks, law enforcement agents, including the Public Protector or anyone combating financial crime and working towards anti-corruption goals.

Investigators from the private sector, which could include banks, insurance and medical companies, law firms that perform forensic investigations, as well as non-profit and media organization, would also find this short course useful for their investigations and dealing with whistleblowers in a more sensitive way.

Glossary of terms
Anonymity: A report is made without the person’s name or identifying information.
Confidentiality: A person’s name and identifying information is only known to the person or organization that receives the report and is only to be shared with others on a need-to-know basis.
PDA: The Public Disclosure Act is South Africa’s whistleblower law, which was passed in 2000 and amended in 2017.
Protection: The process of shielding a whistleblower or vulnerable witness from harm as a result of the person having reported crime, corruption or misconduct.
Retaliation: Harm or threats caused to an employee or citizen who reveals information about crime or misconduct; may include dismissal, suspension, demotion, harassment, mobbing, lawsuits, prosecution, and physical threats or violence.
SIU: The Special Investigating Unit of South Africa, a public institution that investigates corruption, malpractice and maladministration in state institutions, state assets and public money; investigates conduct that may seriously harm the public interest; and recovers financial losses suffered by state institutions.
Whistleblowing: The act of revealing hidden information about crime and misconduct that concerns or threatens the public interest, and providing this information to a person or organization with the ability and expertise to investigate the case and take corrective action.

The purpose of the course is to educate investigators on how beneficial ownership and control can be misused for illicit purposes such as money laundering tax evasion terrorism financing and other financial crimes.