JOHANNESBURG - Concerns over the safety and protection of whistleblowers are once again in the spotlight.
This comes as the high-profile extortion case involving Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni returns to court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has re-enrolled the case and moved it from Kwaggafontein to the Delmas Magistrate’s Court.
READ: New bill proposes jail time for exposing whistleblowers
Sibanyoni and his co-accused face charges of extortion and money laundering after allegedly demanding a protection fee from a local businessman.
Advocate Stefanie Fick from OUTA says the safety of prosecutors and whistleblowers is critical to ensuring justice is served.
“We cannot have a situation where prosecutors are too afraid for their lives to pursue cases. That simply cannot happen.
READ: Government moves to strengthening measures to protect whistleblowers
"We also cannot allow criminal syndicates to outmanoeuvre the justice system, for example, when a case is struck off the roll because a prosecutor fears for their safety," Fick said.
"Without whistleblowers, many issues in this country would be swept under the rug. We need people who are willing to speak out, and that includes prosecutors."
Fick said ultimately, the safety of prosecutors is the responsibility of the NPA as their employer.
"If protection is needed, whether through police support or other measures, it must be provided, not only for the prosecutors, but for their families as well.”