UMngeni-uThukela Water uses its external whistle-blowing hotline service managed by an external service provider as a means of fraud detection and as a means of encouraging an ethical culture. This 24-hour – 365-day facility provides an anonymous and confidential communication channel for all stakeholders (employees, management, suppliers, and customers) to report suspicions of fraud or otherwise unethical conduct without fear of discrimination.

All hotline calls are investigated and appropriately followed through using a hotline protocol which ensures that all calls received are dealt with in a transparent and consistent manner. Trends and information of the hotline calls are further used to improve internal controls. uMngeni-uThukela Water endeavours to create and maintain awareness of this facility and ensures that the phone number is adequately advertised by means of posters, intranet, staff information and induction sessions, supplier forums as well as and other means deemed effective and appropriate.

• An experienced operator will respond to calls in the 11 official South African languages at a secure contact centre equipped with state-of-the-art equipment – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Information agents probe for organisation specific facts such as dates, times, locations, people, amounts involved and any witnesses.
• Trained report analysts will analyse and assess reports for urgency and importance.
• Written reports are forwarded to the organisation accordingly to an approved protocol.
• The operator will assign you a reference number. If you wish to have specific feedback on action taken, please phone the hotline again, quote your number and ask for available feedback.