WHISTLEBLOWING
IF YOU CAN, YOU'LL BLOW THE WHISTLE LIKE BRANDON jumped into the water with a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) pink rescue buoy to assist the men. After playing a significant role in rescuing them from death, Brandon chose to remain anonymous.
DR LIEZL GROENEWALD
Senior Manager: The Ethics Institute
D
espite all the good humans do, humanity is in trouble. We just have to watch the news to realise that needless suffering seems unavoidable, from violent protests and mob justice to murder, pandemic levels of corruption, and extreme levels of poverty. The feeling of powerlessness appears to be increasing, and despondency is setting in. But are we genuinely powerless? Is it not within our individual power, instead of being mere bystanders, to become upstanders? On 28 August 2023, News24 reported that an unknown bystander helped rescue two men swept off a harbour wall in Cape Town. The man, identified only as Brandon,
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On 10 May 2023, a 13-year-old boy in Michigan, named Owen Burns used a slingshot to launch a marble at his 8-year-old sister’s would-be kidnapper. On why he did it, he stated that he just had to do it, “Cause if I didn’t … she would’ve been taken away or … worse.” Owen’s brave act earned him unexpected rewards and he expressed, “I’m grateful for all of that, but you don’t have to give me all the stuff for no reason. I know I did something right, but it’s just me.” Numerous examples exist of people who, despite endangering themselves, “just do it.” They are rightfully hailed as heroes, rescuers, and saviours. These individuals choose to be active upstanders and not passive bystanders. They demonstrate courage, and their acts of bravery are altruistic, aimed at saving the lives of others. This raises the question: how do the actions of whistleblowers differ from those of such rescuers? Whistleblowers act to save not just individuals’ lives, but the lives of their organisations by exposing
Advancing Auditing &Accountability
conduct that could harm their reputation and sustainability. Some whistleblowers choose to reveal their identities, while others, like Brandon, prefer to remain anonymous. Whistleblowers are, in essence, upstanders. They possess confidence in their judgment and believe their actions will make a difference. They are more likely to do the right thing because they take the time to stop and think before acting. They are the opposites of bystanders who prefer to look the other way in the hope that someone else will act.
The intervention of upstanders is often the only reason why wrongdoing such as corruption, violence, bullying, and fraud cease. The concept of the bystander effect was popularised by social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley following the infamous 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York City. At the time, it was reported that 38 neighbours failed to step in to assist or call the police as the 28-year-old woman was stabbed to death outside her
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