Vereeniging Man Shot 23 Times, South Africans Say Blowing the Whistle on Corruption Isn’t Worth It
- Sol Phenduka posed a question on social media about whether whistleblowing is worth it in South Africa
- Pheduka raised the question after a man was shot 23 times when hitmen mistook him for a whistleblower
- South Africans are convinced that it's better to mind your own business and save your life in the process
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has spent a decade reporting on the South African political landscape, crime and social issues.
Is blowing the whistle on crime in the country worth it? That’s the question that has been raised following the murder of a Vereeniging engineering company employee.
Source: Getty Images
Armand Swart was shot 23 times after he was mistaken for a colleague who blew the whistle on corruption at Transnet.
Employee details massive price inflation
A hit was put out on an employee of an engineering company in Vereeniging after he provided details on price inflation on a Transnet tender.
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Transnet paid significantly more for a company product, spending over R1.2 million for 8,000 springs, as opposed to the R25,000 it should have cost.
When the 4 650% price hike was reported, a R1 million bounty was placed on the employee’s head, but the hitmen mistook Swart for him and shot him 23 times.
Whistleblowing isn’t worth it, say citizens
The nature of the crime shocked South Africans and prompted the discussion about whether it was worth reporting corruption in the country.
Popular podcast co-host Sol Phenduka posed the question to social media users, and many agreed that it wasn’t worth risking their lives for.
This is what netizens had to say:
@ChristosNgobeni knows how it feels:
“I was done bad too. Someone encouraged me to blow the whistle, but I decided to resign and start afresh because it’s not safe out there.”
@PostiveImpact89 offered a warning:
“A clear message to everyone who wishes to pick up the whistle and blow it to think twice. These things have elevated under Cyril Ramaphosa really. 😢💔”
@FootballStage_1 has serious concerns:
“Mfwethu, we are fighting a losing battle. Corruption is normalised.”
@SiphiweNodwele said:
“23 bullets in the wrong guy. That's scary. All for a R1.2m contract. Life is so cheap in this country😔”
@Patrice_ZA values his life:
“I will never be a whistleblower for something that has got nothing to do with me just to impress the employer or the Government. I can’t die over ukuphapha honestly.”
@Singo_Tshilume said:
“Never blow the whistle if you don't have security in South Africa.”
@Magiditshedzam1 blames the powers that be:
“Unfortunately the government doesn't want corruption to end. That is why whistleblowers are killed. What a country we live in.”
@MaggyValen explained her version of reality in SA:
“In South Africa, you should know by now that if you become a whistleblower, then you signed your own death sentence with immediate effect.”
6 Plead guilty to Babita Deokran's murder
Briefly News previously reported that six men pleaded guilty to the murder of Babita Deokran.
Deokran was gunned down outside her home after blowing the whistle on irregularities at Tembisa Hospital.
The men reportedly arranged a plea deal before admitting their guilt in the heinous crime.
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Source: Briefly News
