Latest news with #BabitaDeokaran
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
To blow or not to blow?
Corruption whistle-blower Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her home in August 2021. Image: Facebook THAT is the million-dollar question. No pun intended, as we are talking about serious stuff here. As serious as life and death! 'Whistleblowing' is the buzz word in South Africa currently. Arguably, the biggest whistleblower is the intrepid KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Followers of this column will know that I hold him in high regard as he has made a considerable difference to this province. Sadly, speaking out and exposing lawlessness and corruption places a target on your back, and possibly a bounty on your head. However, in among all the controversy about the Commissioner, let not the name Babita Deokaran be effaced. You see to me she is not just a name. Not just another statistic. She was a good friend. She and I shared a love of philanthropy. Whenever I posted on social media that a family was in need or a children's or senior citizen home needed feeding, she was the first to respond. One case that stands out is when she assisted me to buy a wheelchair for a Chatsworth-based musician who had fallen on bad times and was incapacitated. This was one of many humanitarian acts that Deokaran readily and willingly accomplished. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ She had been the acting chief financial accounting director at the Gauteng Department of Health. Deokaran had blown the whistle on fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital, which involved billions of rand. This was as a result of tender irregularities. Ironically, she had flagged a company for suspicious activity which belonged to a businessman that Mkwanazi had also implicated in his recent allegations. Deokaran had definitely thrown the 'Cat' among the pigeons! Her reward for whistleblowing was a hit-style assassination outside her home near Johannesburg after dropping off her daughter at school on August 23, 2021. A really sad day for justice. Three days later six men were arrested and charged with the murder, but the mastermind/s behind it are still at large. Her family live in hope for justice to prevail four years after the nefarious deed. Whistleblowers are not ordinary beings. They are bold, courageous and righteous. The law should ensure their safety and well-being. Deokaran's right to life must not be discounted. She does not deserve to be just a statistic. She deserves to be lauded and hailed as a heroine who spoke the truth despite knowing the possible consequences. Such people are rare and should not be made extinct. Deokaran's cowardly murder must not be in vain. Let us examine the meaning of whistleblowing. No finer method than to delve into the South African Human Rights Commission's definition, - Who is a whistleblower? A whistleblower is a person who discloses information about wrongdoing in the workplace and reasonably believes that there is evidence of gross mismanagement or activity that is illegal, criminal, unethical, corrupt or in violation of the law. - Why is whistleblowing important? Whistleblowing can be regarded as a tool to promote integrity and accountability and discourage corruption. It is important as it encourages institutions or organisations in promoting transparency, compliance, fair treatment and address the causes of malpractice. It prevents the ripple effect of malpractice, make everyone aware that wrongdoers get punished and once employees and other workers note the consequences, they endeavor to keep away from malpractice. Importantly, the culture of whistleblowing can serve as an early warning system to assist in the management of possible risks to an entity. - What is the impact of corruption on human rights? Corruption can be defined as the abuse of office or resources for personal gain. Corruption worsens inequality, weakens governance, transparency, and accountability; and erodes public trust in the State and private institutions. It results in violation of human rights as it undermines the ability of the State to discharge its obligations to advance human rights and ensure a better life for all. Well, as is evident from the above, the powers-that-be certainly have their work cut out for them. But it is imperative that it has to be done. Whether it be a lowly clerk in a small business that uncovers irregularities or a government employee that blows the lid on corruption, that person must be guaranteed safety and security. We cannot have more fatalities like Deokaran. Noble souls like her can't be sacrificed on the altar of avarice. South Africa has laws and policies to protect whistleblowers. This is enshrined in the though, it has been known that some employers view whistleblowers in a negative light and have the misconception that they are 'spies, snitches or 'impimpis''. To the contrary, people like my late friend Babita are real-life heroes. There are certainly many more of her ilk and we pray that they are well protected and not intimidated and harmed by unscrupulous people. Babita Deokaran must not just be another statistic! May justice prevail always. Ravi Govender Image: File *Ravi Govender is a former POST sub-editor and Lotus FM radio presenter. He is a published author, a freelance editor and film producer in training. He can be contacted at: ravijohngovender@ ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. THE POST
eNCA
01-07-2025
- Health
- eNCA
Call to blacklist companies implicated in Tembisa Hospital corruption
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Health Department is allegedly still buying from companies linked to the Tembisa hospital scandal. The DA says ANC heavyweight and tenderpreneur, Sello Sekhokho continues to get business. This is despite the SIU recommending otherwise. Shortly before her death in 2021, Whistleblower Babita Deokaran red-flagged contracts worth R850-million. There were over 200 suppliers to the hospital. Dr Aslam Dasoo from the Progressive Health Forum says stolen health public funds have immediate and deadly effects.
IOL News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Addressing the crisis: whistle-blower murders and the need for legal reform
While 'hitmen' involved in the killing of whistle-blowers may occasionally face charges, the architects of these crimes evade accountability, said Dr Nora Saneka. Image: File WHILE whistle-blowers are at the frontline in the war against corruption, organisations and activists do not believe enough is being done to protect them and to bring the "masterminds" behind some of their murders to book. The killings of many whistle-blowers, including Babita Deokaran, Pamela Mabini, Cloete Murray and his son, Thomas, over the last few years has sparked an outcry for the government and law enforcement agencies to be more proactive. This includes tabling of the Whistleblower Protection Bill and implementing recommendations made during the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture (Zondo Commission). Dr Nora Saneka, chairperson of the Active Citizens Movement (ACM), said despite many promises, concrete action remained absent. 'In President Ramaphosa's 2021 commitment to the Zondo Commission he said: 'We need to give whistle-blowers better protection, both in law and in practice. Without whistle-blowers, we will not be able to tackle corruption effectively', yet nothing has been done. Whistle-blowers continue to face lethal threats, job loss, and institutional hostility. 'The delay in tabling of the bill and ignoring the need to implement interim measures demonstrates alarming inertia. Platitudes have not translated into legal safeguards, financial support, or psychological protection,' she said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Saneka said while 'hitmen' involved in the killing of whistle-blowers may occasionally face charges, the architects of these crimes evade accountability. 'The unsolved murder of Babita Deokaran, exposes systemic failure. Law enforcement and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) lack proactive strategies to target orchestrators, perpetuating a culture of impunity. Without high-level prosecutions, whistle-blowers remain vulnerable." Saneka said the ACM submitted comprehensive proposals to the Zondo Commission in 2021, and directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa in January this year. 'We detailed five interim measures in our letter to the president, Department of Justice (DoJ) and National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC). Despite follow-ups, no substantive feedback has been provided to ACM or to the citizens of South Africa. Neither has any action been taken as far as we are aware. In addition, NACAC's advisories to the president remain confidential, undermining public accountability 'We also ask that the DoJ fast track the Whistleblower Protection Bill and propose that the National Director of Public Prosecutions is directly accountable to Parliament. Parliament has final responsibility for all matters concerning the administration of justice, including the budget for the prosecuting authority. 'South Africa's anti-corruption efforts hinge on protecting those who risk everything. Delays betray whistle-blowers and embolden criminals. We appeal to President Ramaphosa to act now because lives and democracy hang in the balance,' she said. Ben Theron, chief executive officer of The Whistleblower House, said the government's response to protecting whistle-blowers, had been 'fragmented, disjointed, and poorly coordinated'. 'Existing mechanisms are ineffective, and the way they are managed is neither structured or trusted by those who need protection. The system lacks credibility and urgency. In addition to threats to their lives, whistle-blowers often face workplace retaliation or dismissal without proper recourse, meaning job security is virtually nonexistent.' Theron said they had submitted detailed proposals aimed at strengthening whistle-blower legislation, particularly reforms to the Protected Disclosures Act (PDA) of 2000. Stefanie Fick, executive director of the accountability division at Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), said: 'Too many whistle-blowers are on suspension awaiting disciplinary hearings because they decided to stand up against corrupt activities and government departments litigate with taxpayers' money against whistle-blowers. Whistle-blowers also do not receive emotional or financial support and are often ostracised.' Fick added she did not believe the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the NPA had the resources or expertise to tackle the killing of whistle-blowers. Devoshum Moodley-Veera, an integrity activist, said: 'Retaliation against whistle-blowers has become commonplace due to the government's failure to adequately safeguard these individuals. Daily, I encounter situations requiring urgent assistance for whistle-blowers, whether through providing safety houses or offering legal support as they face disciplinary actions. 'A critical, yet untapped, resource is the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) fund, managed by the NPA. This fund, derived from the proceeds of crime, is intended to compensate victims of economic crimes. These funds could effectively support whistle-blowers by covering legal fees, safety accommodation, and psychological assistance. However, this has not yet been implemented by the government." Moodley-Veera, who is a PhD student specialising in ethics, anti-corruption, whistle-blowing protection and law at the Stellenbosch University, said there was a significant over-reliance on the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for probing whistle-blower complaints. 'Law enforcement agencies haven't yet released statistics on the number of whistle-blower cases they have received, making it difficult to assess their effectiveness in handling these matters. Additionally, there's an excessive dependency on civil society organisations and journalists to bring these cases to light. The country also suffers from poor consequence management for wrongdoers. 'In many instances, individuals facing disciplinary proceedings are allowed to resign before any action can be taken against them. This loophole enables them to evade accountability and potentially move to other organisations, perpetuating the same problematic behaviours. Furthermore, the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) effectively silences whistle-blowers,' she said. Koogan Pillay, a governance and human rights advocate, said it appeared that there was no political will or commitment to ethical governance and accountability. 'There is too much talk and very little action. During the Zondo Commission, I made a submission to the commission, as a collective effort of the ACM. This included a compilation of many whistle-blower complaints, together with a human rights report, on what needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, to counter the existential threat posed by grand corruption to South Africa's young democracy. 'Sadly, it has been three years since former Chief Justice (Raymond) Zondo submitted his report to President Ramaphosa and parliament. He recently conveyed his dismay at the lack of progress in implementing his report, hence putting at risk South Africa's constitutional democracy from any further potential capture, should it happen,' he said. Pillay added if nothing was done to protect whistle-blowers, corruption would worsen to the point of rendering South Africa a failed state. 'This could lead to the reality and nightmare of a 'mafia' state. Sadly more pressure rests on resourced strapped organisations and citizens at large. Ultimately, the results at the polls will also tell, as we have seen during the elections last year which led to a Government of National Unity.' THE POST
IOL News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Four years later: the ongoing fight for justice in Babita Deokaran's case
Every day the family of slain whistleblower, Babita Deokaran shares a post which calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to find the mastermind/s. Image: Supplied TODAY marks 1 401 days since whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran, was shot and killed outside her home in Gauteng, While the six 'hitmen' have been sentenced, her family continues to fight for justice and calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to find the 'mastermind/s' behind her murder. Babita, 53, who was the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, was killed on August 23 in 2021. It is alleged that a hit was put on the mother of one after she blew the whistle on fraud and corruption related to Covid-19 PPE procurement amounting to R332 million at the Tembisa Hospital. Three days later, six men were arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Phakanyiswa Dladla, who entered into a plea agreement with the State, were sentenced in the South Gauteng High Court on August 22 last year. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading However, during the court proceedings it emerged that the 'mastermind/s' were still at large. At the time, Phindi Mjonondwane, the Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson said authorities had been looking into 'certain people of interest' named during the plea and sentence negotiations'. 'They provided us with information that will get us the mastermind,' she said. Speaking to the POST this week, Rakesh Deokaran, Babita's younger brother, who resides in Johannesburg, said the wheels of justice were not turning. 'It will be four years since her death, but there is still no closure. My sister's soul will never rest until the mastermind or masterminds who made sure they silence her are found. 'We, as the family, will also never be able to heal until there is justice for her. But we refuse to remain silent for her and for all other whistleblowers who put their lives at risk to stop corruption." Deokaran said the family were left in the dark about the progress on the case. 'Almost a year after the sentencing of the 'hitmen' and we don't know what is happening with the case. But it is not our duty to ask, we should be given regular updates instead of deafening silence. There seemingly no will to find the mastermind or masterminds in her case. 'We have been calling for an intervention from our president. The person or people need to be brought to book. Just before my sister was killed, she said her life was at risk and exposed people, but nothing was done. Nothing was also done to protect her. Our government is failing whistle-blowers. 'We also found it to be very suspicious that a fire started in the filing room at the Tembisa Hospital and then there was another fire a few days later. We held a silent protest outside the hospital, calling for a swift investigation. We call on our government to speed up the investigations,' she said. Deokaran added the pain of losing Babita, who was formerly of Phoenix in Durban and one of eight siblings, still felt new. 'I feel like I just received that call that my sister had been killed. The grief will never go away. We mourn her every day. Babita was our pillar of strength and the glue that held us together. She had that maternal instinct and cared for all of us. She was the most wonderful and caring person. She was a woman of integrity. We will not let her fight against corruption go in vain.'
Eyewitness News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Political parties bemoan inadequate protection for whistleblowers
CAPE TOWN - Political parties have bemoaned the inadequate protection for whistleblowers and the failure to reform the laws that will improve this. During an African National Congress (ANC) sponsored debate calling for guaranteed anonymity, job security and legal support for whistleblowers, every speaker referenced the assassination of Babita Deokaran, who was killed outside her house in 2021 for blowing the whistle on corruption at Tembisa Hospital. Parliamentarians said that despite a raft of laws dealing with whistleblowing, they have given rise to a culture of fear among whistleblowers who are punished rather than protected. Parliamentarians have added pressure on the Justice Department to speed up the process of improving its treatment of whistleblowers. The Protected Disclosure Act and Whistleblowing Act are currently under review by the department. The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Glynnis Breytenbach is calling for the establishment of an independent whistleblower protection agency with prosecutorial referral powers. 'A dedicated, well-funded, autonomous institution must be created to receive disclosures, provide safe channels, investigate threats and offer physical protection.' Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said employers should be prohibited from disciplining officials who make protected disclosures, and should refund them the cost of litigation if an employee wins the case. 'We must similarly make it impossible for those people to be dismissed until the matter has been closed.' Members of Parliament (MPs) are also calling for an incentive fund that will encourage people to come forward to lift the lid on corruption. ALSO READ: Freedom Under Law echoes calls for protection of investigators, whistleblowers in high-profile cases
