Deokaran, a senior Gauteng health official, was gunned down outside her home in August 2021 after exposing irregular tenders at Tembisa Hospital.
Activists demonstrate and remember corruption whistleblower Babita Deokaran, 23 August 2026, in Mondeor, Johannesburg, on the fifth anniversary of her murder outside her home. Organised by the Ahmed Kathrada foundation and supported by various groups, flowers were laid outside her home, with the Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia also attending. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Five years after whistleblower Babita Deokaran was assassinated, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation says her “ghost still haunts the corrupt,” warning that South Africa has failed to deliver justice against the alleged masterminds behind her killing.
Marking the anniversary on Sunday, Neeshan Balton, executive director of the foundation, said that while six hitmen were convicted in 2023, those who allegedly ordered her murder remain untouched.
‘Terrifying’ message
Balton said it is “terrifying”.
“The message is terrifying: if you expose top‑level corruption, you stand entirely alone,” Balton declared.
Murdered
Deokaran, a senior Gauteng health official, was gunned down outside her home in August 2021 after exposing irregular tenders at Tembisa Hospital.
She raised how contracts were deliberately split under R500 000 to bypass National Treasury oversight. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) later confirmed more than R2.04 billion was stolen through 207 front companies and nine syndicates.
Assets seized
In July 2026, the Johannesburg High Court granted a R326 million forfeiture order against the Maumela Syndicate, stripping it of Lamborghinis, Bentleys and a Bantry Bay mansion. But Balton warned that asset seizures alone do not amount to justice
“Every mansion represents a clinic left without basic antibiotics. Every leather seat in those luxury fleets represents a broken elevator in a public hospital,” he said.
Mastermind
A bronze bust of Deokaran now stands at her childhood home, but Balton insisted her true monument must be a transparent, uncompromised state.
“We must dismantle the tender syndicates, imprison the masterminds and ensure that no South African ever has to choose between their life and their integrity again,” he said.
Urgent priority
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that investigations to identify and prosecute the alleged mastermind remain active.
“It’s an urgent priority for the police to finally crack the case,” he said, acknowledging frustrations over delays. Cachalia revealed he meets monthly with DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] investigators.
“Part of the reason we don’t have justice today is that those people are in positions of power and able to protect themselves,” he added.
Anniversary
The anniversary was marked by family, friends and civil society groups who gathered at the scene of her murder.
A memorial service honoured her sacrifice and stood as a demonstration of solidarity with whistleblowers nationwide.
Anguish
Her brother, Rakesh Deokaran, voiced the family’s anguish.
“All we want is the mastermind. Because at the end of the day, the reality of life is, the hitman does not hire himself. There’s someone who actually did it.”
Accountability
Civil society organisations echoed the demand for accountability.
“Madlanga might be pointing to some of them. I hope it gets to the point of probing this angle. It would appear that the seriousness the case requires is just not there,” Balton added.
Hitmen
The six convicted hitmen are serving sentences ranging from six to 22 years. But Deokaran’s memorial underscored that justice will remain incomplete until those who financed and ordered the assassination are prosecuted.
Integrity
For the Kathrada Foundation, the case is not only about Babita’s murder but about the integrity of South Africa’s democracy.
“Her ghost will continue to haunt the corrupt until the state proves it can protect whistleblowers and punish those who profit from betrayal,” Balton said.
Ferrari
Earlier this month, the Special Tribunal ruled that a Ferrari SF90 Stradale linked to businessman Hangwani Maumela must be sold for no less than R9.5 million, dismissing opposition from the Maumela Family Trust.
The ruling ties the luxury vehicle to the SIU’s R2 billion Tembisa Hospital corruption probe, first exposed by Deokaran.
The Ferrari, purchased for R11.1 million in April 2022, has been under preservation at Ferrari South Africa. The Maumela Family Trust and Maumela himself opposed the curator’s application, arguing the car was an appreciating asset.
It is among several luxury cars preserved under a Special Tribunal order issued in September 2025, pending the finalisation of the main application.
