Corruption uncovered ... four years after murder
- Jay Pale
- Aug 25
- 2 min read
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered multiple syndicates involved in corruption following the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. Deokaran was killed outside her home four years ago after she stopped suspicious payments of R850 million to companies linked to Tembisa Hospital. SIU Head Advocate Andy Mothibi says Deokaran's fight against corruption continues despite her death. Mothibi assured Deokaran's family that the SIU is close to cracking the case and will find the masterminds behind the assassination.
"We have found that there are more than four syndicates that are operating and some of those who are in those syndicates some of them have been arrested and we are continuing to work with SAPS, in particular the Hawks, to ensure that they face the full might of the law in terms of the criminality they committed at Tembisa Hospital through corruptly obtaining tenders and colluding with some officials in the department," Mothibi said.
South African Federation of Trade Unions' General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi wants the mastermind behind Deokaran's murder to face the full force of the law.
"The person who had paid the criminals once identified by the police was himself eliminated so that he would not reveal where the money came from. As we speak here, we don’t know who the masterminds are. We are therefore standing here to make a call to the SIU, police and to the state as whole, we want to know who planned, who hired, who offered money to the crooks who came here to kill Babita. Our souls will not rest until we find out who are the planners of this deed. We won’t let Babita die in vain. And our suspicion is the money would have probably come from Tembisa hospital itself." – Reporting by Nomtsikelelo Mthabela and Ntombi Mavimbela.
While the SIU's taking its sweet time (four years, baby!), the public's like "how's the investigation going?" Now that they're onto multiple syndicates, fingers crossed they don't take another four years to wrap things up.
Local really is lekker!
