A Bullet as a Message: The War on South Africa’s Truth-Tellers

The murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe outside his Brakpan home last week has triggered a stark and urgent plea from civil society: the state is failing catastrophically to protect those who expose corruption. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has called for immediate, increased funding and stronger legal safeguards, arguing that whistleblowers, auditors, and honest officials are under systematic attack by criminal networks that often include corrupt state personnel.

Van der Merwe’s killingexecuted in front of his family just three weeks after he testified about a torture cover-up involving Ekurhuleni Metro Policeis not an isolated incident. It is, OUTA states, part of a “brazen” pattern aimed at silencing opposition. The organisation pointed to a chilling roster of violence in Ekurhuleni alone: auditor Mpho Mafole killed in June after flagging a R1.8 billion tender; adjudicator Simnikiwe Mapini shot dead in December 2023; and CFO Kagiso Lerutla injured in a September 2023 shooting.

A Pattern of Violence with Impunity

This violence extends beyond one municipality. OUTA highlighted the still-unresolved masterminds behind the 2021 murder of Babita Deokaran, the Gauteng Health official who blocked fraudulent payments. While hired gunmen were convicted, those who ordered her killing remain free. This impunity, OUTA argues, emboldens further attacks and cripples the fight against graft.

President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to van der Merwe’s murder with a promise to “redouble” efforts to protect whistleblowers. OUTA’s retort is simple: promises are not enough. “This promise must be backed up with action,” the organisation stated, demanding tangible funding, prosecutions of masterminds, and the implementation of long-ignored recommendations from advisory councils and expert reports.

A System in Crisis, A Call for Concrete Action

The call echoes warnings from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, which last month described South Africa’s witness support systems as “inadequate.” OUTA’s demands are a direct blueprint for change:

• Urgent increased funding for witness protection programmes.

• Stronger legal safeguards for government auditors and investigators.

• Public acknowledgment of those killed.

• Determined prosecution of both the killers and the corrupt actors they protect.

The message from civil society is clear: every unsolved murder of a truth-teller is a victory for corruption. Van der Merwe’s death is a horrific exclamation point on a crisis that has festered for years. Protecting those who risk everything to expose theft and malpractice is no longer just a moral duty; it is the fundamental prerequisite for saving South Africa’s crumbling institutions. The state’s response will be the ultimate test of its commitment to justice.

{Source: IOL}

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