Webinar discussions focused on creating better legal protections and establishing a culture of whistleblowing
(August 25th, Johannesburg) – On July 29th 2022, the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), in collaboration with Integrity Platform and other stakeholders, hosted a webinar on the state of whistleblower protection in Malawi. This engagement with civil society was the first of a series of engagements as Malawi begins the process of drafting whistleblower legislation.
“Protection must be included and respected from the beginning of conceptualising a whistleblower law. Protection should begin the moment wrongdoing is identified and reported” said PPLAAF’s Southern Africa Director, Pusetso Morapedi.
The webinar included presentations by Morapedi and Whistleblowing International Network (WIN) Law and Policy Coordinator, Ida Nowers. Jeff Kabondo, Governance Programmes Coordinator for the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC) chaired the meeting.
A recent report by PPLAAF has shown Malawi lacks comprehensive legislation for the protection of whistleblowers. However, since 2021, there has been a push towards developing a whistleblower protection act. In Malawi, whistleblower protection is under the mandate of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) who, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, will be consulting on the development of dedicated legislation regarding whistleblower protection.
As Kabondo explained, now is the time for civil society to work together: “We are starting this conversation at a point where the government is making positive steps, so, I believe, it won’t be too daunting a task that we contribute our inputs into the legislation”.
Going forward, with collaborative efforts, it is for civil society to continue their contribution and support. Ultimately, it was decided that civil society in Malawi should develop a position paper to be shared with the relevant authorities.
PPLAAF is a non-governmental organisation established in 2017 to protect whistleblowers, as well as to advocate and engage in strategic litigation on their behalf when their revelations deal with the general interests of African citizens.
Source: https://pplaaf.org
