Whistleblowing in the Context of Zimbabwe’s Economic Crisis

Abstract

Whistle blowing is a topic that has taken center stage in philosophical discussions on business ethics in recent years. It continues to provoke debate among academics because of its continued relevance to the present prevailing situations the world over. The recent upsurge in cases of corporate wrongdoings in Zimbabwe has seriously reactivated a concerted debate on the moral justification of whistle blowing. The whistle blower is, however, faced with competing and conflicting moral values and imperatives that make his decision to blow the whistle a morally excruciating endeavour. It is the contention of this article that, despite employees’ obligations of loyalty and obedience to their employers, whistle blowing can still be morally justified on the grounds that it aims at righting wrongs that have a potential to pose harm to the public. In view of this, therefore, the paper argues that whistle blowing ought to be encouraged rather than discouraged in the context of Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.