On 30 March 2026, Martha Mani Rantsofu, a 39-year-old acting accountant and whistleblower in the Finance Department of the Emfuleni Local Municipality, was shot and killed at a tyre fitment centre in Vanderbijlpark. CCTV footage shows that Rantsofu was waiting for her vehicle when an unidentified man approached from behind and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene.
Reports indicate that she was preparing to expose a R16 million fraud scheme involving the manipulation of municipal debt. It is alleged that officials were erasing debt in exchange for bribes, and that her audits had uncovered additional irregularities including discrepancies in a newly acquired municipal vehicle fleet, with some vehicles reportedly unaccounted for.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have called for an independent and transparent investigation into her killing, as well as broader protections for human rights defenders and whistleblowers. Although no arrests have been made, the Political Killings Task Team is reportedly investigating the case.
CSOs have expressed concern that delays in enacting the Whistleblower Protections Bill continue to place whistleblowers at risk. The current Protected Disclosures Act (PDA) commonly known as the Whistleblowers Act largely protects individuals within formal employment relationships, leaving community-based activist and whistleblowers exposed and vulnerable. In April 2026 Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi published the draft Protected Disclosures Amendment Bill for public comment until 14 May 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen protections against victimisation and extend safeguards to individuals, including community-based activists, whistleblowers and human rights defenders who expose corruption.