The Kunene v Akani Egoli judgment is a major warning to South African employers: disclosures made during grievance processes can qualify as protected disclosures under the Protected Disclosures Act. This article explains the case, the legal protections for whistleblowers, the risks of retaliation, and why every organisation needs a clear whistleblowing policy and trusted internal reporting channels.

South Africa’s whistleblower framework is under growing pressure to evolve. This article explores how the Protected Disclosures Act and Labour Relations Act interact in the workplace, why current protections are seen as inadequate, and how proposed reforms may expand employer duties, strengthen anti-retaliation measures, and reshape whistleblowing as a core governance and employment law issue.