To report inappropriate actions or behaviour in an organisation or community.

It is a facility where you can report information you have about

• fraud
• illegal activities
• unethical behavior
• waste
• abuse, or
• wrongdoing in your workplace.

Any illegal or unethical behavior in your organisation / work environment can be reported, for example

• Contract and procurement irregularities
• Conflicts of interest
• Harassment
• Discrimination
• Theft and misuse of property
• Fraud and intentional misrepresentation
• Misconduct
• Time and attendance abuse
• Misuse of expense accounts and company credit cards
• Abuses of authority
• Mismanagement of funds
• Misuse of information technology resources
• Any unethical or illegal actions

Information should preferably be reported, where possible, imediately after a reportable incident has occurred.
The purpose of the Vuvuzela hotline is to provide employees with an alternative method of reporting unethical and illegal acts, other than using regular administrative channels in your organisation.
While you are encouraged to report incidents directly to your immediate manager, your organisation recognizes that this may not always be a viable option and has made the Vuvuzela Hotline available to employees for this very reason.

Every caller to the Vuvuzela Hotline is considered a valuable source of vital information to help us combat irregular, unethical and even criminal behavior.

Contact the hotline when the information is still fresh in your mind.

When you call, you can expect a confidential, professional, courteous, and thorough interview by the Vuvuzela Hotline advisor. You will be asked to provide information that will help the advisor establish the facts of the incident (who, what, when, where, and why).

You will also be asked if you can supply us with any further proof about the allegations, for example documentary proof that you can fax, e-mail or post.

During your telephone call, you may remain anonymous or request that your identity be kept confidential.

The information you provide will be evaluated by a team of analysts.
They will ensure that you remain anonymous.
The report they compile will then be sent via secure means to a designated person in your organisation who will manage the further investigation.
We always aim to track each report and try and make sure it is investigated.

The hotline is a resource available to all employees and stakeholders of your organisation.
Your organisation contracts with a private company, The Vuvuzela Hotline, to provide the hotline service. The Vuvuzela Hotline is staffed with specially trained advisors to interview callers.
Your organisatrion's staff or managers do not answer calls.
Our advisors will assist you to furnish the information you have in a safe and effective manner, so that the matter can be investigated.

Calls to the hotline based on suspicion are acceptable.

The Vuvuzela hotline will take the information you provide and forward it immediately to a designated person in your organisation for investigation.

You are urged, however to try and give us as much factual information as possible. This will lead to more effective investigation of your concerns.

Please note that our Advisors receive special training to assess the probalility of truthfulness of callers.
Deliberately reporting false information to the hotline is strongly discouraged and could result in legal action.

No. You do not have to reveal your identity to the hotline interviewer. No one will know you called unless you tell someone you called or you willingly identify yourself during the call.

No. The hotline does not have any type of caller ID capability.
An e-mail to us cannot be traced back to you via our system.
We do suggest, just to give you added peace of mind about your confidentiality, that you take the following steps to protect your anonimity:

• Phone us from a public payphone
• Send us e-mail from an internet café, rather than from work.

In accordance with the Protected Disclosures Act of 2000 (http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/legislation/2000/act26.pdf) there are certain procedures you need to follow to ensure that you are within the ambit of the Law's protection.

For any legal advice relating to whistleblowing/blowing the Vuvuzela we suggest that you contact The Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) Advice Line

• 0800 525 352 or (021) 467 5673
• Website: www.opendemocracy.org.za

Please note that only reports made in good faith may qualify you for legal protection. Under the Act, reporting of any false information will always exclude you from legal protection.

• Names?
• Dates? When did it start? How long has it been going on?
• Places?
• Witnesses?
• Proof? (i.e. documents, computer files, photographs, tape recordings etc…)
• Vehicle registration numbers, make and model?
• Company names?
• What happens to the proceeds of the crime?
• Is this incident part of a trend?
• When will it happen again?

There are various ways to report an incident:

•  Call the Vuvuzela Hotline on the 0800 number allocated to your organisation
•  Fax us:
•  E-mail us: report@thehotline.co.za
•  Submit an online complaint at www.thehotline.co.za . Click on “Report Incident” button

 When making a report you will receive a Vuvuzela Report Number.
Please keep this Vuvuzela Case number strictly confidential at all times.
You may track the progress of your report by logging on to our website (hyperlink to “track report”)
If you enter your case number you will receive feedback on the current status of your query.
Please note that we can only make limited information available to you as result of the sensitive nature of most investigations.

Furthermore, any action taken against an employee as a consequence of the findings of the investigation may be personal and confidential, in which case, it cannot be disclosed to a third party.

•  The Vuvuzela Hotline (Pty) Ltd is an independent entity. It is not a government department.
•  The company is an initiative of SAB&T Forensic Services, a leading forensic accounting firm.
•  The Hotline is answered by well-trained Hotline advisors who are skilled at helping you to report your concerns and information in a safe and effective manner.