“I Have Evidence”: Police Whistle-Blower Fights “Information Peddler” Label in Parliament

In a powerful and defiant testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Tuesday, police whistle-blower Patricia Morgan-Mashale rejected attempts to discredit her as an “information peddler,” asserting that every disclosure she makes is backed by hard evidence. The former SAPS administrative clerk, who has lived in exile for years due to threats, delivered a stark account of corruption she uncovered within the police and issued a passionate plea for genuine government protection for those who expose wrongdoing.

Morgan-Mashale directly challenged the testimony of Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, who had questioned her hiring. She detailed her legitimate 2007 appointment and a subsequent smear campaignincluding false claims she was fired from the Department of Healththat led to her winning R50,000 in damages from SAPS.

Uncovering an Illegal Firearms Ring

The core of her testimony focused on a major corruption case she exposed in 2018. While working at a police storage facility, she discovered a warrant officer selling firearms marked for destruction back onto the black market. “There were names of police officers who are part of this, from police station level up to head office. There were names of dealers who bought the firearms. I printed all that information,” she told MPs.

This disclosure, made as a protected whistle-blower, triggered years of retaliation and attempts to silence her. Her credibility was bolstered by a August 2025 Free State High Court ruling that dismissed a defamation case brought against her by deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, affirming her right as a whistle-blower to expose corruption.

“I Just Want a Normal Life”: A Plea for Protection

When asked for recommendations, Morgan-Mashale shifted from investigator to advocate, painting a harrowing picture of the whistle-blower’s reality. “When you are a mother, and you last had a normal sit-down with your children four years ago because you’re in exile… then the government must really sit down and take notice,” she stated.

Her demand was simple yet profound: tangible state action. “The government must come forward and say anyone who retaliates or kills a whistle-blower must be harshly dealt with. We cannot go on like this.” She stressed she seeks no recognition or compensation, only safety and the chance for a normal life.

Her testimony stripped bare the human cost of fighting corruption from within a hostile system. By standing before Parliament, Morgan-Mashale transformed from a target of smear campaigns into a direct challenge to the state: protect those who have the courage to speak, or watch the truth continue to flee into exile.