“Corruption as Norm, Lives Disregarded”: Whistleblower Athol Williams Blasts Ramaphosa Government After Van der Merwe Murder

A Government Where Corruption and Danger Go Hand in Hand

In a searing interview with the Cape Times, scholar and whistleblower Dr Athol Williams tore into the Ramaphosa-led government, describing South Africa as a place where corruption has become normal, and human life is treated as expendable.

“Disregard for human life is tragedy one, and corruption as a norm is tragedy two,” Williams said, highlighting the twin crises that have defined state conduct in recent years.

Williams’ own experience as a whistleblower illustrates his point. In 2021, he exposed plans by Bain & Company to weaken SARS under former commissioner Tom Moyane, a revelation that led to Bain being banned from government contracts for 10 years. Yet the personal cost was immense, threats to his life forced him into exile, and years of professional and personal stress took a serious toll on his health.

Van der Merwe’s Murder: A Stark Reminder

Williams drew parallels to the recent assassination of Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, a Madlanga Commission witness gunned down outside his Brakpan home. Van der Merwe had implicated Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department officers in allegedly covering up the torture and murder of a miner, exposing practices that Williams says are symptomatic of systemic corruption.

National police commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed that three persons of interest have been identified and one is in custody, with investigations ongoing. Masemola also said the NATJOINTS and Madlanga Commission have implemented measures to enhance security around witnesses.

Yet Williams sees these assurances as insufficient.

“Our government’s apathy toward assault, rape, and murder is a human tragedy,” he said.
“The Ramaphosa government and many in business revel in theft, deception, dishonesty, and cover-ups. Anyone who disrupts this norm is met with disregard for life.”

In other words, he argues, speaking the truth has become life-threatening.

The Wall Against Corruption Is Crumbling

Williams described whistleblowers as the greatest disruptors of corruption, and said South Africa’s failure to protect them has wider implications.

“Harming whistleblowers not only affects them and their families, but discourages any future whistleblowers. The wall that stands against the flood of corruption will erode until we all are drowned.”

His testimony at the Zondo Commission in 2021, and the personal cost that followed, is a testament to these dangers. Williams’ recently published book of poetry, End & Beginning, captures this painful reality, with lines such as: “Forgive me father, for I have sinned; I’ve spoken truth.”

Community Remembers Van der Merwe

Over the weekend, the South African Community of Faith-Based Fraternals & Federations (SACOFF) visited Van der Merwe’s home to pay respects.

“Marius van der Merwe stood for truth in a climate of fear and intimidation,” said SACOFF president Pastor Bert Pretorius.
“His courage must not be forgotten. His silence was forced through violence.”

For many, Van der Merwe’s murder is a chilling reminder that exposing corruption in South Africa can come at the ultimate cost.

A Call to Protect Those Who Speak Truth

Williams’ message is blunt: a government that normalises corruption and disregards human life cannot protect its most courageous citizens. The recent death of Van der Merwe is proof that the system punishes truth-tellers, leaving ordinary citizens and whistleblowers vulnerable.

“Under a government where corruption is the norm, whistleblowers are deemed the enemy,” Williams warned.
“We must act now, or the erosion of justice will continue unchecked.”

South Africa is left to ask: how many more lives must be lost before the state safeguards those willing to speak truth to power?

{Source: IOL}

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