Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has made shocking revelations that there was an alleged plot to kill a senior official in her department who had refused to sign questionable contracts.
Alerted by a whistleblower, Kubayi said she immediately informed law enforcement agencies after receiving the information, resulting in measures being put in place to protect the official and her family.
The minister on Saturday welcomed the whistleblower, crediting their intervention with helping to prevent the loss of life.
According to Kubayi, the senior official came under threat after refusing to approve or sign contracts she regarded as questionable.
“Corruption is not a victimless crime and that is what this senior official has understood,” Kubayi said.
“She stood her ground and acted with integrity and conscientiousness, and for that we must be grateful.”
Kubayi said she contacted law enforcement agencies as soon as she became aware of the alleged threat.
She also commended the law enforcement agencies involved for acting swiftly to assess the threat and putting measures in place to protect the official and her family.
The matter remains under investigation.
Kubayi said she hoped law enforcement agencies would make a breakthrough that would ensure the threat was permanently eliminated.
The minister said the incident demonstrated the risks faced by public servants who stand firm against questionable conduct and corruption.
She also highlighted the importance of whistleblowers in exposing wrongdoing within government.
“Whistleblowers are critical to our fight against corruption because they help uncover what we would never have been able to uncover without them speaking out,” Kubayi said.
“Thanks to this courageous whistleblower, lives were saved.”
The minister said the actions of the senior official demonstrated integrity within the public service, describing her decision to refuse to sign the contracts as evidence of a commitment to serving the public.
Kubayi’s department did not disclose details of the contracts in question, the identity of the official or the nature of the alleged plot, citing the ongoing law enforcement investigation.
