A Qualitative Study on the Realities of Anti-Corruption and Whistleblowing Law and Processes in Botswana.

Botswana has been depicted to be an example of a successful democracy in Africa since gaining independence in 1966. However, the country has dealt with many corruption scandals, and in 1994 established the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) followed by promulgation of the Whistleblowing Act in 2016 which is administered by the DCEC. These developments were indicative of a growing problem of corruption that led to the establishment of a specific government agency and legislative initiatives to address the scourge of corruption. The purpose of this qualitative study is to assess the impact and effectiveness of whistleblowing laws and processes. The paper, using grounded theory and 12 expert interviews with participants from different sectors and professions, highlights factors that constrain the effectiveness of whistleblowing laws and processes in Botswana. The findings indicate the main factors which include the lack of protection for whistle-blowers, institutional overlaps and conflict between government agencies, lack of trust in public officials and government, and manipulation of whistle-blower processes by elites. Thus, the study provides modest contributions to the literature on whistleblowing in Africa and offers recommendations to deal with corruption in Botswana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]