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Labour Minister Joyce Nonde Simukoko
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has expressed sadness by remarks coming for the Labour Minister Joyce Simukoko calling for the arrest of the whistle blower Mika Mwambazi for allegedly ‘alarming the nation’.
TIZ Information Officer Charles Chulu says as an organization that believes in the protection of whistle blowers, they strive to promote adherence to the provisions of the Public Disclosure Act.
Mr. Chulu feels that that the minister acted in bad faith to disclose personal information of a whistle blower whose identity is supposed to be protected under this act.
Mr. Chulu says it is unfortunate that such remarks are coming from a parliamentarian and a former unionist who is a law maker and understands its provision and the penalties that come with disclosing a whistle blower who is entitled to make a protected disclosure.
He states that Ms Simukoko’s actions are a clear deterrent to would be whistle blowers who may have important information relating labour and other issues.
He says being a former unionist, the best the minister could have done is to end at dispelling what she called as a false alarm and not calling for the arrest of a whistle blower.
Mr. Chulu furthermore states that otherwise the actions taken by the labour minister is a reprisal for an aggrieved person who made a protected disclosure and we believe that this is a case which can possibly land her in the courts of law for acting against clear provisions of the law.
The TIZ Information Officer has since urged the Labour Minister and other such elected public office holders to take due diligence and read the laws they enact in parliament.