The African Union wants adequate protection for whistleblowers to encourage them to report on corruption.
The AU already has the Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), a formative treaty meant to unify definitions, prosecution, penalties and other legal processes linked to fighting corruption, including sharing standards.
But the continental body’s experts say whistleblowers are a pillar because they sent out early warnings about corruption.
Among the proposed measures is the establishment of effective whistleblower systems, the provision of incentives to encourage more whistleblowers, safeguarding their identities, enacting and implementing laws to combat corruption.
They spoke at the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Dialogue, organised by the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), in Arusha.
AUABC chairperson Seynabou Ndiaye Diakhate said low levels of reporting corruption have partly been attributed to fear of retaliation and reprisals of whistleblowers.
The two-day forum themed ‘Effective whistleblowers protection mechanisms: A critical tool in the fight against corruption,’ came amid anti-government protests that have gripped parts of Africa, fueled by rising public anger over high-level corruption and economic mismanagement in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal among others.
“As we all know the cost of corruption is evident in our society and cannot be quantified even though reports have shown that for Africa alone the losses exceed $50 billion annually,” said Diakhate. “Corruption, being a clandestine activity, may never be uncovered unless someone reports it or blows the whistle. The role of whistleblowers in exposing corruption, therefore, is of utmost importance.”
Systematic corruption is on the rise while there has been dwindling resources being available to human rights and anti- corruption activists, calling for more resources to be made available to protect whistleblowers.
Among the challenges identified was the inadequate whistleblowing system, which hinders citizens from reporting instances of corruption.
Widespread, and deadly, protests against tax hikes rocked Kenya in June and forced a sharp government turnaround.
Ugandans assembled for anti-corruption protests, before Nigerians too began clamouring for demonstrations.
During the forum, the AUABC Executive Secretary Charity Hanene Nchimunya said the AUABC dialogue would not only assess the current state of whistleblower protection systems across Africa but also aim to generate actionable recommendations to shape national laws and policies.
“It is expected to culminate in a comprehensive report, with AUABC submitting key findings and proposals to African Union Policy Organs for future reforms,” said Nchimunya.
The World Bank, in its October 2024 Africa’s Pulse report, has sounded an alarm over the potential for these protests against corruption and high cost of living to spread, warning of a ripple effect driven by deep-rooted socio-economic issues.
The report highlights increasing economic challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a combination of rising living costs, corruption, and governance failures has contributed to a volatile environment.
