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Democratic societies are often confronted by unprecedented, and unethical conduct that circumvents the essence of democratic processes. This conduct plagues service delivery and as a mechanism for combating corruption, whistleblowing remains important. A key obstacle in the fight against corruption is individual's fear of speaking out or blowing the whistle because of the porous legal protection that exists for them in South Africa. The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced government to swiftly increase public spending. At the centre of this spending is the fact that public procurement and procedures have been relaxed in order to expedite transactions. This was an opportune moment for corruption to swiftly adjust the direction of massive public expenditure. The continued fear of blowing the whistle remains a perennial problem even in the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature in Public Affairs indicates that sta