Whistleblower Sarika Lakray-Naidu reported on the severe personal and professional consequences she faced after raising concerns about alleged corruption in the City of Johannesburg. She lost her job, got rid of most of her personal belongings, and was forced to sell her wedding rings to support her family. Furthermore, she was attacked.
The former city finance director, who recently participated in the television investigation Carte Blanche, stated that after she expressed concerns regarding alleged irregularities related to the municipality's multi-billion rand vehicle fleet, including vehicles from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and fire trucks, she lost her job, livelihood, and sense of security.
Lakray-Naidu, aged 56, previously lived in Sea Cow Lake in Durban and is currently desperately seeking employment. She expressed doubt about adequate protection for whistleblowers in South Africa, noting that in the current climate in the country, one should not become a whistleblower. She recounted that no NGO or anti-corruption organization wanted to help her, even when she sought funds for her son's medication.
Lakray-Naidu worked for the City of Johannesburg for 15 years before being dismissed in June 2023 following a disciplinary hearing. She was accused of gross ethical misconduct, dishonesty, harassment, intimidation, and bullying. She contested these charges, asserting that she was punished for exposing wrongdoing.
She first began to worry about the city's transport expenditures in 2019 while preparing a report for the mayor on the public safety department. Lakray-Naidu reported alleged irregularities within the Gauteng Forensic Investigative Services (GFIS) and the Hawks. She stated that regardless of where she appealed, she failed due to the caliber of candidates holding those positions. After 15 years of service, she was fired and branded as a bully and racist.
Lakray-Naidu noted that the arbitration process ultimately acquitted her on substantial aspects of the disciplinary case. She was awarded compensation equivalent to 10 months' salary, although she was not reinstated. She emphasized that she was fired for doing the right thing, and the arbitrator's decision confirmed that all accusations were fabricated and frivolous, and her disciplinary record was impeccable.
In 2018, Lakray-Naidu became a widow after her husband Trevor died in an abduction. She shared that she faced threats due to reporting alleged offenses. She experienced an attempted attack, after which she had to abandon her car and flee. Photos were taken near her home, and attempts were made to infiltrate her residence complex. They tried to take her child from school. She felt constant fear for her life and her family's lives, leading to immense trauma. Even now, she remains in a state of heightened vigilance, unable to shop like ordinary people.
Lakray-Naidu added that the worst part was the inability to find new work. Although she founded the company Wild Horses Advisory and Consulting Services, finding employment remained difficult. She lost her job and is forced to survive day by day because no one wants to hire her. She sold her wedding rings, has no car, and got rid of everything to feed her family, which required a reduction in their standard of living. Her family, son, and father suffered from the stress caused by this situation, sustaining injuries and serious health problems. She believes that neither private nor public institutions are willing to hire her, despite her acquittal.
Popes Rampersad, a member of the executive committee of the Active Citizens Movement (ACM), a civil society organization, noted that Lakray-Naidu's case highlighted the harsh reality for whistleblowers in South Africa. He stated that they fear for their lives, lose their jobs, and are discredited for honest actions. Despite vindication by the Labour Relations Council, she ended up unemployed and abandoned. Rampersad mentioned a similar case in November 2025 when City Power employee Stefanus Fourie was fired for reporting an alleged improper privatization plan worth 1 billion rand.
Yashika Padia, a member of the ACM executive committee, called whistleblowers brave individuals who advocate not only for themselves but for society as a whole. She stressed that the suffering they endure affects not only the whistleblowers themselves but also their families. Therefore, it is crucial that everyone—colleagues, government, the private sector, and the public—supports whistleblowers.