Babita Deokaran’s alleged killers’ bail to be heard in camera?

The state will be moving to have portions of Babita Deokaran’s alleged killers’ bail bid heard in camera as the case heads back to court tomorrow.

This was revealed in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Friday, when the six accused in the case made another appearance in the dock.

Their bail application had been scheduled to kick off on Friday, but wound up being postponed to next week because the recording system was not working.

Before it was postponed, though, advocate Steven Rubin told the court the state now intended bringing an application to have portions of the bail proceedings held behind closed doors.

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Speaking after proceedings, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said she could not divulge the reasons at this stage.

“We did indicate to the court that as the state we will be bringing an application to have in camera proceedings for certain portions of the bail application hearing.

“Unfortunately that application is not yet before court and the contents of the application itself have not yet been presented in court,” she said,

“Therefore it can not be shared with the media when it has not yet been presented in court, so we will wait for that day for the state to present its reasons to the courtas to why we will need those portions to be held in camera”.

Deokaran was shot outside her home in Mondeor, in south Johannesburg, last month in what appears to have been a hit.

Nothing was stolen and the acting chief financial officer for the Gauteng department of health, Deokaran was also one of the witnesses in the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) probe into allegations of graft involving a R300 million personal protective equipment (PPE) tender.

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According to media reports, she had also received threatening messages in the run up to her death.

The six suspects currently before court – Phakamani Radebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Siphakanyiswa Dladla, Simphiwe Mazibuko and Sanele Mbele – were arrested less than a week later and are facing charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, posession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and attempted murder.

Mbele has reportedly been employed as a general worker at the Nkosi Langalibalele district municipality in Estcourt since 2018, but has been missing for the last six months or so and disciplinary action against him is now being considered.

The accused currently before court, however, are thought to have been hired hands.

– bernadettew@citizen.co.za