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Political party ActionSA has revealed what it calls the Fallen Whistleblowers Bill. The document, also referred to as the Public Procurement Amendment Bill 2026, focuses on the sector widely acknowledged as being the most vulnerable to corruption because of risks such as the constant interaction between the public and private sectors, the large sums of money at stake, and the sheer volume of transactions happening at any given time.
In South Africa, the public procurement budget was R2.6-trillion in the 2024/2025 financial year, with more than R1-trillion spent on procuring goods and services.
“Corruption is not an abstract concept. It is not a victimless crime,” says the party in a statement. “Corruption kills. It robs South Africans of healthcare, clean water, education, safe communities and dignity. Worse still, it targets those brave enough to expose it.
“From Babita Deokaran to Marumo Eric Phenya, whistleblowers have paid with their lives while those implicated in corruption continue to enjoy political protection and impunity.”
The bill is named to honour those whose lives were taken to silence them. The most recent high-profile killing, that of former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department official-turned-private-security-operative Marius van der Merwe on 5 December, mere weeks after he testified in camera at the Madlanga commission, came as a massive shock to exhausted South Africans who over the years have seen many courageous people fall to criminals who will do anything to safeguard their illicit sources of enrichment.
“Whistleblower protection remains weak, prosecutions are delayed or abandoned, and billions of rands are lost through corrupt public procurement every year,” the party says. “The Fallen Whistleblowers Bill responds directly to this crisis in four ways.”
The four-step approach, as ActionSA explains, includes:
- Targeting corruption where it is most deeply entrenched, by creating a secure and anonymous mechanism for any related disclosure, “with robust safeguards to ensure anonymity and protection”.
- Strengthening protection by doubling penalties for intimidation, obstruction, and interference, with offenders looking at up to 20 years in jail.
- Introducing incentivisation by empowering courts to award between 15% and 25% of recovered funds to those whose disclosures directly result in financial recovery for the state.
- Enabling private prosecution in circumstances where the National Prosecuting Authority fails or refuses to act.
“Corruption will no longer be consequence-free, and courage will no longer be a death sentence,” says the party. “We call on the public to support this bill.”
A check on the Parliamentary Monitoring Group’s page shows a notice to introduce the bill, and a call for widespread support.
“Organised local government, municipalities, interested parties, and institutions are invited to submit written representations on the proposed content of the draft bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly at speaker@parliament.gov.za and copied to parliament@actionsa.org.za by no later than Sunday, 15 February 2026.”
See this page for guidelines on how to put together a submission.
