Murder of Babita Deokaran

Last updated

Murder of Babita Deokaran
Date23 August 2021 (2021-08-23)
Timearound 08:00 SAST
VenueOutside the home of the victim
Location Winchester Hills, Johannesburg South, Gauteng Province, South Africa [1]
Coordinates 26°16′29″S28°01′19″E / 26.27476°S 28.02193°E / -26.27476; 28.02193
CauseShooting
MotiveAssassination of a witness in a corruption investigation
Deaths1
Arrests6
Suspects
  1. Nhlanganiso Ndlovu [2]
  2. Siphakanyisa Dladla [2]
  3. Zitha Radebe [2]
  4. Simphiwe Mazibuko [2]
  5. Sanele Mbele [2]
  6. Phakamani Radebe [2]

Babita Deokaran was a South African whistleblower murdered for reporting corruption at the Gauteng Department of Health where she was working as the acting chief director financial accounting officer.

Contents

The murder

Deokaran was shot and killed at around 08:00 SAST on 23 August 2021 while she was returning home from dropping her daughter off at school. [3] A vehicle pulled alongside her vehicle and fired multiple shots after she had parked in front of her house in Johannesburg South, Gauteng Province, South Africa resulting in her death. [4] [5] The case caused significant controversy in South Africa given Deokaran's status as an anti-corruption whistleblower and the lack of protection afforded to her by the state. At the time of her death Deokaran was the acting chief financial officer at the Gauteng Provincial Government Department of Health. [6] [7]

It was reported in the media that her death was linked to a corrupt COVID-19 PPE procurement scandal to the value of R332 million (equivalent to US$20 million) [8] within the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health. [9] [10] An official from the South African Special Investigating Unit confirmed that Deokaran was a key witness in the investigation to expose a syndicate setup to benefit from state corruption. [4] Deokaran had been on special leave for more than a year prior to her death whilst the investigation was underway. [8]

Investigation

A neighbour informed the police that he had seen a suspicious BMW at the murder location multiple times before the event. [4] This information enabled the authorities to trace the vehicle to a former member of the South African National Defence Force living in the Pretoria area [4] and resulted in the arrest of six suspects. [11] A passenger in Deokaran's vehicle at the time of the murder also provided important evidence leading to the arrests. [12] The Sunday Times reported that Deokaran had been stalked and observed by her alleged assassins for more than a month prior to her death. [13] The Sunday Times report also stated that CCTV cameras in the area had been mysteriously disabled just prior to the assassination whilst sophisticated surveillance software might have been used to monitor Deokaran's mobile phone and track her movements. [13] [14]

The six suspects were reported by the media to have been hired assassins [12] with Cape Talk reporting that they were allegedly paid R2 million. [15] News24 reported that the following suspects had been arrested Nhlanganiso Ndlovu, Siphakanyisa Dladla, Zitha Radebe, Simphiwe Mazibuko, Sanele Mbele, Phakamani Radebe three days after the attack; they also reported that more arrests were likely in the future. [2] Due to water supply issues affecting the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court, the bail hearing was postponed to 30 November 2021. [16]

Following Deokaran's death the chief executive of Tembisa Hospital and the provincial Department of Health chief financial officer were suspended. [17]

Phakamani Radebe alleged that former health minister Zweli Mkhize paid them R400 000 each for the hit, but later retracted the statement. [18]

Media coverage

Deokaran's murder received considerable attention in the media. The Daily Maverick published an editorial questioning why public officials received generous protection details whilst witnesses who blow the whistle on serious acts of corruption, like Deokaran, received no protection thereby raising questions about the South African government's commitment to fighting corruption in South Africa. [19] Following her death South African president Cyril Ramaphosa stated that more state protection should be afforded to whistleblowers in the fight against corruption. [20]

A News24 investigation concluded that African National Congress (ANC) Ekurhuleni treasurer-general Sello Sekhokho ran a number of businesses that were allegedly involved in corrupt dealings with the Gauteng Department of Health. News24 reported that Deokaran raised concerns over the nature of these dealings shortly before her assassination. Sekhokho denied the News24 allegations. [21]

Convictions

The six men involved in the assassination were sentenced in the Johannesburg High Court to a combined 95 years imprisonment on the eve of the second anniversary of the assassination. [22] Hadebe and Mbhele were sentenced to 22 years imprisonment on charges of murder. Radebe and Mazibuko were sentenced to 15 years for murder. Dladla was sentenced to 8 years for murder and 7 years imprisonment on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition (15 years in total). Ndlovu was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for murder. [22]

Aftermath

The six men involved implicated three more men. One of the three, Khanyisani Mpungose, was killed in Germiston, four months after Deokaran's assassination. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Police Service</span> National police force of South Africa

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province. The nine Provincial Commissioners report directly to the National Commissioner. The head office is in the Wachthuis Building in Pretoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in South Africa</span> Overview of crime in South Africa

Crime in South Africa includes all violent and non-violent crimes that take place in the country of South Africa, or otherwise within its jurisdiction. When compared to other countries South Africa has notably high rates of violent crime and has a reputation for consistently having one of the highest murder rates in the world. The country also experiences high rates of organised crime relative to other countries.

Jacob "Jackie" Sello Selebi was the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service from January 2000 to January 2008, when he was put on extended leave and charged with corruption. He was also a former President of African National Congress Youth League, South African ambassador to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998, and President of Interpol from 2004 to 2008. Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on 3 August 2010. However, he was released on medical parole in July 2012, after serving less than a year of his sentence, and lived at home until his death on 23 January 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corruption in South Africa</span> Institutional corruption in the country

Corruption in South Africa includes the improper use of public resources for private ends, including bribery and improper favouritism. Corruption was at its highest during the period of state capture under the presidency of Jacob Zuma and has remained widespread, negatively "affecting criminal justice, service provision, economic opportunity, social cohesion and political integrity" in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zweli Mkhize</span> South African doctor and politician

Zwelini Lawrence Mkhize is a South African medical doctor and politician who served as the Minister of Health from May 2019 until his resignation on 5 August 2021. He previously served as the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2018 to 2019. Before that, he was the fifth Premier of KwaZulu-Natal from 2009 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nomvula Mokonyane</span> South African politician

Nomvula Paula Mokonyane is a South African politician who is currently the First Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC). She was the first female Premier of Gauteng from 2009 to 2014 and subsequently served in the national government as Minister of Water and Sanitation from 2014 to 2018, Minister of Communications in 2018, and Minister of Environmental Affairs from 2018 to 2019.

Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 is an Act of the Parliament of India which provides a mechanism to investigate alleged corruption and misuse of power by public servants and also protect anyone who exposes alleged wrongdoing in government bodies, projects and offices. The wrongdoing might be in the form of fraud, corruption or mismanagement. The Act will also ensure punishment for false or frivolous complaints.

There have been many political assassinations in post-apartheid South Africa. In 2013 it was reported that there had been more than 450 political assassinations in the province of KwaZulu-Natal since the end of apartheid in 1994. In July 2013 the Daily Maverick reported that there had been "59 political murders in the last five years". In August 2016 it was reported that there had been at least twenty political assassinations in the run up to the local government elections on the 3rd of August that year, most of them in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sisi Virginia Khampepe is a retired South African judge who served in the Constitutional Court of South Africa between October 2009 and October 2021. Formerly a prominent labour lawyer, she joined the bench in December 2000 as a judge of the Transvaal Provincial Division. She was also a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reeva Steenkamp</span> South African model and murder victim

Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp was a South African model and paralegal. She modelled for FHM magazine and was the first face of Avon cosmetics in South Africa. Steenkamp once worked as the live roaming presenter for FashionTV in South Africa and starred in television advertisements for Toyota Land Cruiser, Clover Industries, Redds and Aldor Pin Pop. She was a celebrity contestant on the BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012 and on Tropika Island of Treasure season 5 which aired on SABC 3 in February 2013.

Winchester Hills is an area in Johannesburg, South Africa. Houses for sale in the region often sell for more than R 750,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Busisiwe Mkhwebane</span> Former Public Protector of South Africa

Busisiwe Mkhwebane is a South African advocate and prosecutor who has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since October 2023, representing the Economic Freedom Fighters. She served as the 4th Public Protector of South Africa from October 2016 until her impeachment in September 2023. She is the first head of a Chapter 9 institution to be removed through impeachment.

Makgathatso Charlotte Chana Pilane-Majake is a South African politician who is currently serving as the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration since August 2021. She formerly held the same office between February 2018 and May 2019. A member of the African National Congress, she represents the Gauteng constituency in the National Assembly.

Bosasa was a South African company specialising in providing services to government, most notably correctional services. It consisted of Bosasa Group, Bosasa Youth Development Centres, and African Global Operations. The company was liquidated in 2019 after whistleblower Angelo Agrizzi revealed the malfeasance in prolonged scandal about its allegedly corrupt relationship with members of the governing African National Congress (ANC), aired during the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana</span> 2019 South African murder victim

Uyinene "Nene" Mrwetyana was a South African student at the University of Cape Town. On August 24, 2019, she was raped and murdered in the suburb of Claremont, Cape Town. Her murder highlighted the broader national problem of gender based violence and femicide in South Africa, and is credited with "shifting the South African collective consciousness" and "igniting a movement".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa</span> COVID-19 viral pandemic in South Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa was part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South African unrest</span> Riots after Jacob Zumas imprisonment, 9 to 18 July 2021

The 2021 South African unrest, also known as the July 2021 riots, the Zuma unrest or Zuma riots, was a wave of civil unrest that occurred in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces from 9 to 18 July 2021, sparked by the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court. Resulting protests against the incarceration triggered wider rioting and looting, much of it said to be undertaken by people not in support of Zuma and fuelled by job layoffs and economic inequality worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic policies. The unrest began in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the evening of 9 July, and spread to the province of Gauteng on the evening of 11 July, and was the worst violence that South Africa had experienced since the end of Apartheid.

Matthews Johannes Wolmarans is a South African politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2019. A member of the African National Congress, he previously served in the assembly between 2017 and 2019. Wolmarans is also a former mayor of the Rustenburg Local Municipality.

The murder of Charl Kinnear occurred at around 15:03 SAST on 18 September 2020 as he was leaving his home in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa. He was shot multiple times in the upper body whilst seated in the driver's seat of his white Toyota Corolla resulting in his death. Kinnear was a lieutenant colonel in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and was the section commander for the Western Cape anti-gang unit. Former pro rugby player Zane Killian was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with Kinnear's murder. Kinnear's mobile phone had been illegally tracked 2,116 times by Killian before his murder using a specialised mobile phone tracking device and software.

eKhenana Commune

The eKhenana Commune is a prominent land occupation in the historic working-class area of Cato Manor in Durban, South Africa. According to the Socio-Economic Rights Institute "The eKhenana settlement is organised as a cooperative in which residents collectively run a communal kitchen and tuck shop, theatre, poetry and music projects, and care for a vegetable garden named after the late Nkululeko Gwala [assassinated in 2013] as well as a poultry farm named in honour of the late S’fiso Ngcobo [assassinated in 2018]. The Commune has solar power and is also home to a political school that residents named the Frantz Fanon School, as well as the Thuli Ndlovu Community Hall [Ndlovu was assassinated in 2014]. The Commune has suffered sustained political repression, including multiple arrests and three assassinations in 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Cruywagen, Vincent (10 October 2021). "AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: Possible 'mafia' link to murder of Babita Deokaran". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Babita Deokaran murder: More arrests expected after six accused make first court appearance". www.polity.org.za. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Ngqakamba, Sesona. "Gauteng health department shocked by fatal shooting of senior official outside her home". News24. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Cruywagen, Vincent (28 August 2021). "DM168 AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: Slain whistle-blower Babita Deokaran potentially unveiled a criminal syndicate at the Department of Health". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  5. ↑ Kumari, Kritika. "Who is Babita Deokaran? Murdered In Johannesburg, Seven People Arrested, Husband, Daughter!". getindianews.com. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Bhengu, Lwandile. "Seven people arrested for murder of Gauteng health dept official Babita Deokaran". News24. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Cruywagen, Vincent (28 August 2021). "DM168 AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: Slain whistle-blower Babita Deokaran potentially unveiled a criminal syndicate at the Department of Health". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Babita Deokaran biography, Origin, Position, Age, family, assassination -". 27 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Haffajee, Ferial (24 August 2021). "GAUTENG: SIU confirms Babita Deokaran, mowed down after dropping child at school, was a witness in the R332m PPE scandal". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  10. ↑ Bhengu, Lwandile. "'There is a relationship' - Makhura on link between Babita Deokaran murder and PPE corruption". News24. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  11. ↑ Evans, Julia (30 August 2021). "AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: Six suspects accused of murdering whistle-blower Babita Deokaran appear in court". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  12. 1 2 Cruywagen, Vincent (30 August 2021). "AGE OF THE ASSASSIN: Passenger in slain Babita Deokaran's car is key to identification of hired killers". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Digital sleuthing and an alert neighbour: Inside Babita Deokaran assassination arrests". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Staff Writer. "Hitmen used advanced tech to disable cameras and spy on whistleblower's phone" . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Babita Deokaran hitmen were paid around R2 million – Sunday Times". CapeTalk. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  16. ↑ Bhengu, Lwandile (19 November 2021). "Babita Deokaran murder: Bail hearing postponed after water cuts affect court precinct". News24. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  17. ↑ Farmer, Ben; Thornycroft, Peta (11 October 2022). "Mystery of murdered whistleblower who uncovered hospital corruption". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Shapiro, Tevya Turok (21 July 2023). "Silenced – why Babita Deokaran was murdered". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  19. ↑ Heywood, Mark (31 August 2021). "Maverick Citizen: Tuesday Editorial: Babita Deokaran: How not to get away with murder". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  20. ↑ "SA must do more to keep whistleblowers safe, says Ramaphosa after Babita Deokaran's killing". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Investigations, News24. "SILENCED | From boerewors to bandages: Inside ANC leader's R100 million health tender jackpot". News24. Retrieved 30 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. 1 2 "Babita Deokaran's killers sentenced on eve of second anniversary of whistle-blower's murder".
  23. ↑ "Babita Deokaran's 'assassin' died two years ago". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.