By: Natasha Archary
Exactly a year since she was mercilessly gunned down in the driveway of her Winchester Hills home in the south of Johannesburg, Babita Deokaran‘s family is still seeking justice for her death.
Babita was set to be a witness in a COVID-19 PPE procurement scandal which was estimated at over R330 million.
The 53-year old single mother was on her way back from the shops after dropping her daughter off at school, when six armed men opened fire on her vehicle.
The 6 men accused of her death were denied bail in December 2021, and last appeared in court for a pre-trial in July. However, lawyers for the 6 men said they needed more time.
A year later, and Babita Deokaran’s family say they are no closer to discovering who orchestrated the hit on the PPE whistleblower.
In an interview with EyeWitness News, Babita’s brother-in-law said that it’s hard and painful to deal with the anniversary of her death and still have no answers.
“It does frustrate us and anger us that a year has already gone by and no further arrests have been made. We understand that the investigations take time but it hurts us to know that these people are going on with their lives while we are still grieving.”
Babita Deokaran’s family are still seeking justice for her death
Babita’s brutal murder has highlighted the importance of protection for whistleblowers in the country. Her murder was called out for a being a hit from the start, as nothing was stolen from her home or vehicle.
She was the Chief Director of Financial Accounting in the Gauteng Department of Health and turned witness in the Special Investigating Unit’s probe into theft involving the R330 million PPE tender.
The Hawks took a week to trace the six gunmen from KwaZulu-Natal, following a series of raids.
Also read: Vytjie Mentor, State Capture whistleblower has died
