JOHANNESBURG - The continued victimisation of whistleblowers by organs of state is a cause for serious concern.
This is according to the South African Institute for Responsive and Accountable Governance's advocate Tseliso Thipanyane.
He says the protection of whistleblowers is key to the country's fight against corruption.
The lack of a comprehensive whistleblower protection act has led to victims being forced into hiding, or at worst, getting killed.
"A lot of whistleblowers, they are victimised by the state officials, using public officials.
"That's why we are saying the president in his undertaking to fight corruption issue a directive that there should be no victimisation of whistleblowers at the hands of state officials, using public funds," Thipanyane said.
WATCH: Whistleblower speaks on harassment, intimidation and abuse
"Number two, we want the president to issue a directive that whistleblowers must be supported when they fight the act of injustice of being victimised for doing the right thing because whistleblowers, we can not succeed in the fight against corruption.
"So it makes one wonder if some of the people who're involved are actually not themselves part of the corruption? That's why then we're seeing this resistance to whistleblowing, when there is an Act of Parliament which says whistleblowers must be protected," Thipanyane said.
"You have bodies like Human Rights Commission which are there to protect the violation of the rights of whistleblowers but we're not seeing much action in that regard."