Cape Town - Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) MP Patricia de Lille on Friday criticised the government for defying an act of parliament by threatening whistleblowers.

She was reacting to a statement by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota on Thursday, when he was responding on behalf of the government to the report of the joint investigation team's probe into the multi-million rand arms deal.

Briefing the media, Lekota said the finding that there was no evidence of "improper or unlawful conduct" by the government, and no grounds to suggest its contracting position was flawed, should lay to rest all kinds of allegations that were made against it.

"(But) in the light of the damage to our country caused by unfounded allegations of massive corruption on the part of the government and reputable international companies, government will institute its own investigations to ascertain the source of these allegations and the purpose they sought to achieve."

De Lille told Sapa that such a statement "flies in the face of an act [commonly known as the whistleblower's act] of parliament which seeks to protect whistleblowers".

Wrong to threaten whistleblowers

It was wrong for ministers to condemn and threaten whistleblowers, while the three investigating agencies did not.

"Also included in this threat to be investigated must certainly be the media," De Lille said.

"Without the media, the whistleblowers would not have succeeded in exposing the irregularities in the arms deal process.

"In any democracy, government must assume responsibility for the deeds of its officials, and South Africa is no exception," she said.

De Lille was at the forefront of initial allegations of misconduct surrounding the deal.

The report of the investigation by the auditor-general, national director of public prosecutions, and the public protector was tabled in parliament on Thursday.