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Every South African company should have a whistleblowing management system

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has published South African National Standard (SANS) 37002 Whistleblowing management systems — Guidelines. This document provides the framework and guidelines for any organisation to implement a whistleblowing management system based on the principles of trust, impartiality, and protection.

“Whistleblowing has the potential to prevent and eliminate corruption, fraud and illegal or wrongful acts that can save companies millions of rand. The act of whistleblowing can be daunting, and life threatening in some cases, and it is important that organisations are cognisant of the need to design systems that can protect the identity of whistleblowers,” says Sadhvir Bissoon, Acting CEO of the SABS.

Bissoon explained that the guidelines contained in SANS 37002 are generic and intended to be applicable to all organisations, regardless of type, size, nature of activity, and whether in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors. The document is adopted from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is the internationally accepted standard for organisations, anywhere in the world to deal with whistleblowing.

The document includes guidelines on how to reduce and prevent detrimental treatment of whistleblowers and others involved; it encourages the demonstration of leadership commitment to prevent and address wrongdoing, encouraging people to blow the whistle and establish a culture of openness, transparency, integrity, and accountability. A practical framework for receiving, assessing, addressing and concluding whistleblowing cases are also included.

Organisations can email [email protected] if they would like to receive training on SANS 37002 or visit the SABS webstore to purchase a copy of the national standard.

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