Why Investigative Journalists Should Share in Recovered Public Funds

A formal submission to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development urges three key amendments to Section 18 of the proposed Protected Disclosures Bill, 2026. As it stands, the Bill only awards whistleblowers when there is a criminal conviction, but in South Africa, billions in public funds are recovered through settlements and civil forfeiture without a conviction ever being secured.

The submission argues that the compensation trigger must shift from conviction to recovery, and critically, that qualifying investigative media organisations should be eligible for a share of those recovered funds, recognising that journalism like the #GuptaLeaks was essential in making state capture recoveries possible in the first place.

For news organisations already absorbing tens of millions of rand in investigative costs under severe market pressures, this is not a subsidy, it is overdue recognition that the public benefit of their work is currently paid for entirely by the media, while the financial upside flows only to the state.

DOWNLOAD THE DOCUMENT HERE:

Steering Committee_Submission_Protected_Disclosures_Bill_2026