Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
Whistleblowers will soon get incentives as plans are afoot to establish a Witness Protection Bureau that will offer protection to witnesses in high-risk cases, including changing their identity or location in some cases.
The Whistleblower Protection Bill, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at shielding individuals who expose corruption and other illegal activities, has been submitted to the Attorney General’s Office.
It is now awaiting to be presented to Parliament.
This was revealed during a recent indaba between the Government, captains of industry, and other key stakeholders to deliberate on the consequences of counterfeit products in the country.
Senior Legal Officer in the Ministry of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Lloyd Kabara said to encourage more people to come forward, Government is considering introducing financial incentives for whistleblowers.
“We are trying to incentivise whistleblowers so that when you whistle blow, you get something out of the process,” he said. “At the same time, we also discourage false reporting.”
“At the start of the investigation, the witness is automatically protected. Sometimes they may need to change their name, identity, or location, and we are looking into that,” he said.
