Four years ago today, Babita Deokaran filed a report flagging R850m in suspicious Tembisa Hospital payments. Within weeks, she was dead. This is the price of knowing too much. A @News24 🧵 
On 3 August 2021, Deokaran discovered R104m in troubling procurement anomalies at Tembisa Hospital. She froze payments and informed Acting CFO Lerato Madyo. This was the beginning of Deokaran’s end.
Deokaran formalised her findings in this report to Madyo, calling for a forensic investigation. She expressed fears about the danger these findings posed. Her instincts would prove tragically accurate.
Between August 11 and 17, Deokaran repeatedly escalated her concerns to Madyo, reiterating her growing fears about potential retaliation. She spoke of 'the guys from Tembisa' - a chilling reference to those she’d exposed.
23 August 2021: Babita Deokaran was gunned down in a hit-style assassination near her Winchester Hills home. Six hitmen silenced her forever.
The corruption Deokaran uncovered was staggering: thousands of transactions worth R850m from April-July 2021 alone. Many were processed just under the R500,000 threshold to bypass stricter regulations.
Deokaran’s findings revealed the early warning signs of rampant fraud. Mundane items were purchased at grossly inflated costs, and politically connected entities scored lucrative medical contracts.
Despite Deokaran's urgent warnings about her safety, formal escalation of her findings was delayed or ignored. The system designed to protect whistleblowers failed spectacularly when it mattered most.
news24.com/investigations…
news24.com/investigations…
Six hired assassins stalked Deokaran for over a month before killing her. They later revealed she was targeted for 'creating problems’ at work. The mastermind walks free.
Deokaran's murder sent shockwaves across SA, highlighting the deadly risks faced by those who expose corruption. Her death became a symbol of courage against corruption and the urgent need for whistleblower protection.
Today, four years after that report, Babita Deokaran’s name stands as a testament to integrity in public service. She paid the ultimate price for doing what was right, and her sacrifice must not be in vain.
The corruption networks that killed Babita Deokaran are still out there. Until we see real accountability for those who ordered her assassination, her death remains an open wound in our democracy.
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