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Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law

Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011.

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Other Authors: Van Jaarsveld, S.R.
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Van Jaarsveld, S.R.
author_browse Van Jaarsveld, S.R.
author_facet Van Jaarsveld, S.R.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2010, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:54.588Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
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publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/25023 Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law Van Jaarsveld, S.R. nhmalan@gmail.com Malan, Nicole Helene Protected disclosures act of 2000 Pda South african labour law Whistleblowing South africa UCTD Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011. The main focus of this dissertation is to examine the operation of whistleblowing within an organisation. Whistleblowing constitutes an act by an employee to expose perceived unlawful activity by an employer or employee, within an organisation or company, to an authority in the position to redeem the situation. It is based on the presumption that any kind of business or organisation has to be governed by laws in order to protect society from fraudulent and corrupt practices. In South Africa, the Protected Disclosures Act of 2000 (PDA) sets out a clear and simple framework to promote responsible whistleblowing by reassuring workers that to remain quiet about perceived malpractice is not the only safe option and is aimed at safeguarding the employee who raises concerns. Thus, from a legal perspective, an employee making a disclosure under certain circumstances and prerequisites enjoys full protection of the law. Whistleblowing is thus not just about anonymously informing, but rather about raising a concern. However, whistleblowers, even if they act in good faith often risk recrimination, victimisation and sometimes dismissal. Therefore, in order to determine whether the PDA is applicable, certain criteria have to be met, pertaining to the definition of disclosures and of occupational detriment. A number of consequences may follow from the contravention of the PDA. The Act provides mechanisms for the employee to disclose sensitive information regarding alleged improper conduct by the employer. In order to enjoy the protection of the act the employee must have trusted the disclosed information to be true. However, not all disclosures constitute protected disclosures, and for the purposes of the PDA certain requirements have to be met. When it comes to automatically unfair dismissals, the most difficult issue remains that of causation. It is a courageous effort to blow the whistle on perceived corrupt or illegal practices by an employer of any kind, and such an action is often met with harsh retaliation. Therefore employees often remain reluctant to speak out about practices that might threaten the higher echelons of their organisational hierarchy. On a personal level, blowing the whistle may have severe consequences for the individual; dismissal being but one of them. Internationally there is growing recognition that the act of whistleblowing is healthy and necessary for organisations in order to control corruption and illegal practices. The international community has also implemented a variety of whistleblowing laws and procedures for protecting and encouraging those who speak out. Mercantile Law unrestricted 2013-09-06T19:01:22Z 2011-05-27 2013-09-06T19:01:22Z 2011-04-11 2011-05-27 2011-05-26 Dissertation Malan, NH 2010, Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law, LLM dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25023 > E11/341/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25023 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05262011-155556/ © 2010, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Protected disclosures act of 2000
Pda
South african labour law
Whistleblowing
South africa
UCTD
Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title_full Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title_fullStr Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title_full_unstemmed Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title_short Aspects of whistleblowing in the South African Labour Law
title_sort aspects of whistleblowing in the south african labour law
topic Protected disclosures act of 2000
Pda
South african labour law
Whistleblowing
South africa
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25023
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05262011-155556/