Babita Deokaran’s family place their faith in justice system

Slain health department official and whistleblower Babita Deokaran’s family is confident justice will be served.

“We’re placing our faith in the justice system to bring these perpetrators to book,” her brother-in-law and the family’s spokesperson, Tony Haripersadh, said on Monday after six men who have been arrested for Deokaran’s murder made their first appearance before a court.

Deokaran was gunned down outside her home in Mondeor, in south Johannesburg, last Monday. Nothing was stolen and it appears to have been a hit.

The acting chief financial officer for the Gauteng department of health, she was also one of the witnesses in the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) probe into allegations of graft involving a R300 million personal protective equipment (PPE) tender.

Speaking at a vigil for her last week, Gauteng premier David Makhura said Deokaran’s murder was linked to the tender, but the SIU said its unable to confirm that.

The Hawks swooped on a total of seven men – all from KwaZulu-Natal – on Friday.

One has since been released without charge due to a lack of evidence but the remaining six – Phakamani Radebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Siphakanyiswa Dladla, Simphiwe Mazibuko and Sanele Mbele – appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court today on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

They are also facing charges of attempted murder, believed to relate to a domestic worker who was with Deokaran at the time of the shooting.

Their appearance was brief and the case was postponed to mid-September for a formal bail application, with the accused remanded in custody until then. The six are widely thought to have been hired hands.

And Haripersadh said on Monday the family was hopeful the mastermind would also be brought to book.

In the meantime, he said, the family was relieved that at least some of those thought responsible were behind bars – and hoped that was where they would stay.

“We want bail denied,” he said.

According to reports, the alleged hitmen were paid R400,000 each to kill Deokaran.

“We don’t know whether they might skip the country,” Haripersadh said.

Haripersadh said the family was “shattered” but “very strong, emotionally”.

“Although we are hurt, we are leaning on one another for support. We are taking strength and comfort from each other,” he said.

The outpouring of public support for the family had buoyed them, he said, and the family was grateful for the tireless work of the authorities and members of the public who reportedly assisted with investigations.

He did say, though, that Deokaran’s teenage daughter was “broken”.

There was a heavy media presence at court, and the accused were met by a sea of cameras when they emerged from the cells to make their way to the dock.

They appeared unfazed, however, and all looked straight ahead during proceedings – save for Mbele who kept his gaze downcast and clutched his hand to his face. The court heard from his lawyer that he claimed to have been assaulted by police.

Speaking outside court, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane would not be drawn to comment on rumours that the accused – or at least some of them – had already offered up confessions.

Neither would Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu comment when asked by a reporter if any of them were from the defence force.

Mulamu did, however, confirm none of the accused currently before court were from the Gauteng department of health. She also confirmed further arrests were “imminent” but could not attach a timeframe to this.

Asked about the individual to whom the attempted murder charge related, Mjonondwane said they were uninjured and safe at present.

– bernadettew@citizen.co.za