University of Johannesburg Hosts Colloquium on Whistleblowing and Social Change: Reflecting on 30 Years of Democracy
In celebration of South Africa’s 30 years of democracy, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) hosted a significant colloquium on 18-19 July 2024, exploring the role of whistleblowing in combating corruption and fostering social development.
Organised by the SARChI Chair in Social Change, led by Professor Ashwin Desai, and the Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA), with co-ordination by Dr Ugljesa Radulovic (Department of Sociology) and Dr Anthony Kaziboni (Centre for Social Development in Africa), the event brought together a wide range of experts.
The colloquium, titled titled Breaking the Chains of Corruption: Whistleblowing as a Catalyst for Social Development in South Africa, provided a platform for dialogue among academics, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society representatives.
Discussions covered international standards for whistleblower protection, strategies for supporting whistleblowers in weak legal environments, and the political economy of whistleblowing, among other critical themes.
The event was notable for its successful integration of diverse perspectives and disciplines. It established UJ as a key player in whistleblowing research, facilitating collaborations with individuals and institutions previously unaffiliated with the university.
Over the two days, the colloquium featured twelve thematic sessions, each with multiple speakers and a chair, largely from UJ’s Department of Sociology. Highlights included plenary sessions by Professor Elmarie Fourie of UJ’s Department of Public Law and Pranesh Maharaj from the Special Investigating Unit. Award-winning filmmaker Rehad Desai also presented his documentary How to Steal a Country. Additionally, Advocate Paul Hoffman and former Constitutional Court Justice Richard Goldstone offered impactful presentations.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Wendy Addison, a Council of Europe Whistleblowing Expert, praised the event’s organisation, while Advocate Paul Hoffman and Richard Goldstone acknowledged the colloquium’s effectiveness in addressing important whistleblower issues and fostering potential new initiatives.