Judge Makume postponed the murder case of Babita Deokaran to August 7 at the Johannesburg High Court.
July 17 was supposed to be the day when the trial of the six men accused of arranging a hit on the whistleblower was set to begin. The men are Phakamani Vincent Hadebe, Nhlangane Phinda Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphakanyiswa Dladla, Zitha Radebe and Siphiwe Thabane Mazibuko.
At court it was established that only two counsels were present: Simphiwe Mlotshwa for accused 1, 4 and 5 (Hadebe, Dladla and Radebe) and Sanele Sibisi for accused 3 and 6 (Mbhele and Mazibuko).
Whistleblower Babita Deokaran's murder trial to begin pic.twitter.com/GJX89qaGtR
— Southern Courier SA (@courier_sa) July 17, 2023
Counsel Menzi Simelane, who represents accused 4 (Ndlovu), was not present due to ill health.
State advocate Steven Rubin together with the two counsels agreed on the date for the start of the trial, August 7.
The six men stand accused of the murder of the alleged whistleblower who was fatally shot outside of her Winchester Hills home on August 23, 2021.
WATCH: Whistleblower Babita Deokaran’s murder trial begins
They are also accused of the attempted murder of Deokaran’s domestic worker, who was in the car with her at the time of the shooting.
At the time of her death, she was the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health.
