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IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
Family hopes for breakthrough in finding mastermind behind whistle-blower's murder
Babita Deokaran Image: Facebook ALMOST four years after the killing of whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran, her family and other stakeholders believe there is hope of finding the 'mastermind' or 'masterminds' behind the hit on her. This comes after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Police, was receiving "financial support' from controversial businessman, Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala. Mkhwanazi alleged that Matlala was at the centre of a criminal syndicate involving politicians, police officers, and other judicial figures. He also alleged that Matlala's company secured a R360 million South African Police Service (SAPS) health services tender in 2024, despite red flags raised over allegations of fraud linked to Tembisa Hospital. The tender was later withdrawn. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ According to reports, Matlala's name first surfaced in connection to tender irregularities at Tembisa Hospital in 2021. It is alleged that he was linked to fraud probes sparked by Babita, and that she had flagged his companies for suspicious activities. Babita, 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 at the hospital which ran into billions of rand. The 53-year-old, of Johannesburg, was gunned down just weeks after raising the alarm. Three days later, six men were arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition. However, during the court proceedings it emerged that the 'mastermind/s' were still at large. In May, Matlala was arrested along with his wife and two others for the alleged attempted murder of his former girlfriend in 2023. The matter is currently being heard in Alexandra Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg. He is currently in prison custody. Speaking to the POST, Rakesh Deokaran, Babita's younger brother, said they were hoping the 'wheels of justice' would now turn. 'While I don't want to speculate, this could be a breakthrough in finding the mastermind or masterminds behind my sister's killing. While the hitmen have been sentenced, the person who wanted to silence her still remains at large. There has been no real progress in getting justice for my sister. 'But we are now hopeful, as this person's name has been mentioned many times over the years. We can only hope that the police and justice system do everything in their power to investigate and bring to book those responsible for taking my sister away from us. It must be done not just for Babita, but for all whistler-blowers who put their lives at risk to stop fraud and corruption in this country. With this news and just a month away from her death anniversary, it seems as if she is working overtime from her grave,' he said. Ben Theron, chief executive officer of The Whistleblower House, said they were hopeful that investigations would lead to the uncovering of the mastermind behind Babita's killing. 'Any step forward is welcome, and this may help connect more dots. Whether this is the breakthrough remains to be seen. However, the silence from the authorities has been deafening. It is deeply troubling that journalists and whistle-blowers have done more to push this case forward than those in power. 'We need more than words; we need determined, visible action. Babita's family deserves the truth, whistle-blowers deserve protection and South Africans deserve to know that justice is not reserved for the powerless, but applies to all,' he said. Dr Nora Saneka, chairperson of the Active Citizens Movement (ACM), said the arrest of the person or people behind Babita's killing depended on what the investigation uncovered. 'The SAPS or Hawks must allocate their best and most experienced investigators to this matter. There seems to be a cul-de-sac or logjam where there is little or no progress with even high-profile cases like the Babita murder. There is insufficient or no consequence management. Despite the conviction of six men for carrying out the hit on Babita, no progress has been made in uncovering the mastermind or masterminds behind her murder. 'This lack of accountability continues to erode public trust and fuels growing frustration over the perceived failure of law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities to pursue the truth without fear or favour,' she said. Saneka said dedicated resources must be allocated to trace the chain of command that ordered Babita's assassination. In addition, she said whistle- blowers must be protected and investigators shielded from interference. 'There is also a need to investigate Matlala's network, which includes all alleged connections such as political, administrative, or otherwise must be scrutinised with impartiality and urgency. There should also be a clean-up of the system. The SAPS, correctional services, and any institutions enabling impunity must undergo thorough internal reviews to eliminate complicity and corruption. 'We hope that the Commission of Inquiry announced by the president identifies the 'rot' in the criminal justice system. South Africa has waited far too long for justice in this case. Babita stood for truth, accountability, and service. Her memory cannot be honoured through silence and delay,' she said. Adila Chowan, an advocate and whistle-blower, said she believed there was a possibility that the spotlight now on Matlala could aid in the arrest of the mastermind of Babita's murder. 'Matlala has long been suspected of being at the core of the Tembisa Hospital corruption that Babita exposed. Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi has explicitly tied him to that network. Previously, the six convicted hitmen provided information that helped identify a planner, and promised to lead investigators to the instruction-giver, but that person remains at large. 'If Matlala was involved either in ordering the hit or covering it up, as alleged, extracting evidence from him through phone records, financial trails, his associates could result in a major breakthrough, leading to the mastermind,' she said. THE POST
Daily Maverick
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Mkhwanazi's smoking guns: How two firearms could expose SA's colluding cops, a drug cartel and high-profile murders
A ballistic report allegedly linking an AK-47 and a pistol to a Transnet corruption cover-up murder, and the shootings of high-profile public figures, add weight to the KZN police commissioner's claims of a criminal octopus with tentacles reaching deep into key institutions – including law enforcement itself. An AK-47, a pistol and a deadly attempt to cover up Transnet tender corruption. This is what may lead to arrests for the shootings of several high-profile artists in Gauteng over roughly four years, and the exposure of alleged top-tier state involvement in deep-rooted organised crime in South Africa. Certain police officers say the AK-47 and the pistol are linked to the April 2024 killing in Vereeniging of engineer Armand Swart, who was shot after the company he worked for unearthed corruption related to Transnet and tenders. The guns are allegedly also linked to the shootings of several artists and may shed light on the killings of Oupa John Sefoka, better known as DJ Sumbody, and his apparent bodyguard, who went by the name of Wolter Sbusiso. Both were shot in Johannesburg in November 2022. Sefoka and Sbusiso's murders edge close to suspicions of gangsterism, drug trafficking, state corruption, extortion rackets and criminal networks embedded in private security companies and nightclubs. It appears Sbusiso once worked for a security company founded by arrested businessperson Vusi 'Cat' Matlala. Last year, Matlala was awarded a R360-million police contract that has since been terminated. News24 reported that whistle-blower Babita Deokaran, who was murdered in August 2021, had flagged Matlala over contracts linked to Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. Last Sunday, 6 July, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Matlala was financially supporting Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's 'political endeavours'. Mchunu has since denied knowing Matlala or receiving anything from him. 'Unprecedented' scandal Apart from those accusations, Mkhwanazi alleged during the press conference in Durban that a high-level criminal syndicate was operating in South Africa. He said it extended into the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Police Ministry, Parliament, prison officials, the judiciary and other law-enforcement authorities. Mkhwanazi, whose security has been beefed up since he made his allegations, also said that a 'drug cartel' headquartered in Gauteng was ultimately controlling the syndicate. If true, it means an internationally operating cartel, with ties to the state and the private sector, is based in the province that also houses South Africa's administrative capital, Pretoria. The unfolding crisis threatens to derail key policing operations and expose even deeper layers of corruption. It could also have an effect on political power. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who seems to back Mkhwanazi, described the scandal as 'unprecedented' this week and said it struck at the heart of the police. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to intervene. Bullets and ballistics So far, the saga involves high-level claims, counterclaims and smear campaign accusations – elements often used to conceal state-embedded organised crime. What cannot be refuted, however, is the body count that criminals in such circles produce, often by way of shootings. This is also where Mkhwanazi appears to be in possession of hard evidence. During his press briefing, he referred to the 2024 murder of Swart in Vereeniging. According to an earlier SAPS statement, four suspects were accused in the case, including one convicted of drug trafficking in the UK more than two decades ago, as News24 first reported. An arrest warrant was issued last month for a fifth suspect, Lucky Boitumelo Molefe. Mkhwanazi, during his press conference, referred to one of the detained suspects in the case – Tau Pule, a police officer. 'During the arrest, weapons used in the murder – an AK-47 and a pistol – along with cellphones, were confiscated,' Mkhwanazi said. A ballistics expert from the Political Killings Task Team, created in 2018, examined the firearms. Mkhwanazi said that on 30 December last year, the expert issued a ballistics report 'which linked these firearms with a number of high-profile cases – including [the shooting of] high-profile South African artists – which occurred in Gauteng dating as far back as 2021'. He did not name the artists, but he said suspects in the cases were known and decisions to prosecute them needed to be made. He also alleged that the day after the crucial ballistics report was issued, 31 December 2024, Mchunu sent out a directive to freeze the filling of vacancies in the Crime Intelligence unit and to disband the Political Killings Task Team. The disbanding, Mkhwanazi claimed, was so that Mchunu could shield politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution. Mchunu has dismissed the allegations. Shootings and 'protection' Mkhwanazi's accusations aside, the facts are that there have indeed been shootings targeting Johannesburg 'artists' – DJs and high-profile figures. For example, actress Tebogo Thobejane was wounded in a shooting in Sandton in October 2023. Among those arrested for her attempted murder is Matlala – whom Mkhwanazi has accused Mchunu of being in cahoots with. Matlala is president of the company CAT VIP Protection, according to its website. It says: 'With over 30 years experience in law enforcement, he founded CAT VIP as there was a need for elite human and asset protection in South Africa.' Aside from Thobejane's shooting, there have been other incidents in Johannesburg, such as the murders of Sefoka – DJ Sumbody – and Sbusiso. They were killed in Johannesburg in November 2022, nearly a year before Thobejane was wounded. Among those who attended Sefoka's funeral was EFF leader Julius Malema. After Mkhwanazi's press conference on Sunday, suspicions and photographs did the rounds suggesting that Sbusiso was linked to CAT VIP Protection. Daily Maverick found photos on Sbusiso's social media profiles, as well as on CAT VIP's Instagram page, showing that Sbusiso probably had worked for the company. A photo dated 2018 shows a man in company attire bearing a strong resemblance to Sbusiso, opening a car door for someone. Another photo on Sbusiso's Instagram page from 2018 shows him in a CAT VIP top, and a 2019 Facebook post shows him standing outside a black car with what appears to be a CAT VIP logo on his T-shirt. The photo is captioned: 'Waiting my principal [sic].' Gangsterism capital Other photos – interspersed with images of liquor, luxury cars, designer clothing and a Rolex watch – show Sbusiso with Sefoka. Entertainment establishments also fit into this matrix, hinting at potential dangers to patrons. Sefoka was known for the Ayepyep Lifestyle brand, which he and his business partner, Kagiso Setsetse, created. It involved two venues – the Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Menlyn, Pretoria, and another in Cape Town's city centre. Daily Maverick previously reported that 28s gang boss accused Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson were involved in Ayepyep Cape Town. The venue was temporarily closed in 2023 after accusations by Setsetse that Stanfield and Johnson, its general manager, were trying to dominate it. Among the accusations Setsetse made, which Stanfield countered with claims of his own, was that Stanfield was involved in handling security at Ayepyep Cape Town. In an affidavit to police, Setsetse also alleged that gangsters targeted the venue and 'terrorised customers' after it opened in 2021. A legal settlement in 2023 led to Setsetse selling his one-third share in the business. Other shares belong to Stanfield's mother-in-law, Barbara Johnson, and to Sefoka's family. If Mkhwanazi's allegation is correct – that the AK-47 and pistol used in the Swart killing are indeed linked to other high-profile murders in Johannesburg – and if Sefoka's shooting is part of this, it merges gang suspicions with the developing policing scandal. Cartel country In the Western Cape, suspicions are rife that there are crooked cops working with gangsters. This, in turn, ties into the drug trade. For a long time, there have been suspicions in policing circles that figures based in Gauteng import narcotics and pump them through South Africa, with a special focus on Western Cape gangs that act as conduits. Specific suspicions involve luxury vehicles and drug consignments being exchanged between the provinces. There are also long-standing beliefs that politicians and individuals with state ties are benefiting from the illicit trade. Mkhwanazi, during his press conference, made allegations in this regard. A presentation he shared said an investigation involving police officers from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng had 'unmasked the syndicate which involves Politicians, Law Enforcement (SAPS, Metro Police & Correctional Services), Prosecutors, Judiciary and controlled by Drug cartel as well as Business People'. Mkhwanazi explained that this alleged cartel was headquartered in Gauteng and importing drugs from South America. The drugs often entered South Africa through Durban harbour. Daily Maverick has previously reported that international traffickers prefer using this port when shipping masses of cocaine into the country. Mkhwanazi said that from Durban, drugs were transported to Gauteng where they were processed and distributed around South Africa as well as beyond the country. The critical Crime Intelligence unit crops up here. Its head, Dumisani Khumalo, and six colleagues were arrested late last month on corruption-related charges, which they deny. Mkhwanazi has implied that they were arrested with the deliberate aim of destroying Crime Intelligence. Khumalo's name previously cropped up in a cocaine scandal linked to a R200-million interception in Johannesburg in July 2021. So, too, did that of Major General Feroz Khan, the head of counterintelligence and security at Crime Intelligence. Daily Maverick previously reported that Khan was accused of defeating the ends of justice and bringing the SAPS into disrepute. This related to his presence at the 2021 cocaine bust, which had involved the arrests of police officers. But Khan, via court processes, has countered that Khumalo had used the cocaine interception to try to get rid of him because of his investigations into the abuse of secret funds, with possible links to Khumalo. Police bosses denied that Khan was being targeted for dubious reasons. According to police, the cocaine at the centre of that scandal had come from Brazil, arrived in KwaZulu-Natal and been transported to Gauteng. It was not the only consignment to move from one province to the next. This is the same route that Mkhwanazi said the alleged cartel, with ties to various state authorities and headquartered in Gauteng, was using. Further backing his assertions is what happened in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2021. Between the weekend of 5 and 8 November that year, the Hawks offices there were burgled and cocaine worth R200-million was stolen. A Hawks statement released afterwards said: 'The suspects gained entry into the building by forcing open the windows. One of the safes in the office, which were used to store exhibits, was tampered with.' Widely viewed as an inside job, the theft supports Mkhwanazi's claim that corrupt police are involved in drug trafficking. DM
News24
25-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Gauteng premier releases forensic reports into corruption, other offences
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed the province lost more than R3 million due to financial misconduct across four departments but was able to recover 60% of this amount. Forty-seven forensic reports, part of a larger set of 177 investigations, probed fraud, corruption, and maladministration in high-profile cases like the Tembisa Hospital tenders. Three HODs were dismissed after they failed lifestyle audits, while 55 criminal cases were referred and 88 individuals faced disciplinary action. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced the provincial government lost more than R3.4 million due to financial mismanagement, but 60% of this was later recovered. On Wednesday, Lesufi made public 47 finalised forensic investigative reports dating back to 2016, before he was premier. These reports, part of a broader set of 177 investigations, examined cases of fraud, corruption, maladministration, and mismanagement in various government departments within the province. He said the release of the reports built on previous disclosures, including high-profile cases such as Anglo Ashanti, Tembisa Hospital, and driving licence testing centres. Lesufi added R3 448 215.07 was lost due to financial misconduct across the departments of cooperative governance and traditional affairs; roads and transport; human settlements and agriculture; and rural development. READ | 'Arsonist' charged for Tembisa Hospital fires amid R2.3bn corruption probe He said there were 10 cases from these departments, all referred to law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation, while the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) recovered some of the funds. 'A total of R3 448 215.07 was lost due to financial misconduct, with R2 039 689.78 recovered. This means that almost 60% of the value lost through fraud and corruption was recovered by GPG [Gauteng provincial government] departments in the last quarter. 'Overall, based on these 47 reports, approximately 88 people have faced consequence management, and 55 criminal cases have been registered with law enforcement by the departments.' Lesufi said he had dismissed three heads of department (HODs) who failed lifestyle audits. The audits, conducted by the SIU, involved accounting officers, including CEOs, the director-general, and HODs. READ | 'In response to these findings, the provincial government, in collaboration with the SIU, which conducted the audits, notified the affected employees and directed them to address and rectify the identified discrepancies promptly to avoid potential disciplinary measures,' he added. 'I can confirm over the weekend I received the final report from the SIU, and three out of the four HODs do not comply. Based on this, I have taken a decision to remove the affected HODs from their positions.' The 47 reports were broken down as follows: • Health: 16 • Social development: 7 • Community safety: 7 • Cooperative governance and traditional affairs: 4 • Sport, arts, culture and recreation: 3 • Roads and transport: 2 • Treasury: 2 • Human settlements: 2 • Education/e-Government: 1 • e-Government: 1 • Treasury/Education: 1 • Premier's office: 1 Lesufi urged the media and the public to 'engage with the reports responsibly'.
The South African
22-04-2025
- Health
- The South African
DA vows to push for accountability over Tembisa Hospital fire
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has demanded a speedy investigation and consequences for any identified failures that may have contributed to the fire at Tembisa Hospital in Ekurhuleni. A fire broke out at the hospital's emergency unit on Saturday, 20 April. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported. However, the unit remains closed. The Gauteng Department of Health said, despite the incident, Tembisa Hospital remains operational, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. DA Gauteng spokesperson on health Jack Bloom said they're very grateful that disaster management services were able to prevent a monstrous tragedy by the speedy evacuation of patients. They should be commended. Bloom said unfortunately, there is a history of drawn-out investigations and lack of consequences after previous hospital fires. 'While arson has been identified as the cause of the devastating fire at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital five years ago, the hospital CEO was not fired despite identified deficiencies in a report by the State Security Agency. There has also been no progress in apprehending the arsonists,' Bloom said. Meanwhile, none of Gauteng's 37 public hospitals comply fully with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, with fire being the biggest risk, the DA also revealed. The party said that this is according to a recent Gauteng Health Department presentation to an oversight committee in the Gauteng Legislature. Sixteen hospitals scored less than 75% OHS compliance, mostly because of missing fire prevention and fire suppression equipment, and lack of fire signage and escape lighting. Notably, Tembisa Hospital only scored 72% OHS compliance, the same as the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, despite their previous fire. 'Tembisa Hospital has been mismanaged and looted by fishy contracts for years now, and it does not even have a permanent CEO. A top-class CEO is urgently needed to ensure that full services are reinstated, and measures are taken to alleviate the severe overcrowding that will be worsened by the fire. 'The DA in Gauteng will push for full accountability and speedy efforts to fix Tembisa Hospital,' Bloom added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
