Nearly five years after her murder in Mondeor, Johannesburg south, the family of whistleblower Babita Deokaran says the pain of her loss remains, but so does the resolve to keep her legacy of courage alive.

Speaking about the family’s grief, Babita’s brother, Rakesh Deokaran, said the past four years have been deeply emotional.

“We continue to miss her every single day; the last four years, now approaching five, have been an emotional one for us. Grief evolves over time, and we still have many difficult moments. However, we are a close-knit family and continue to draw strength from one another,” he said.

Rakesh also expressed gratitude to organisations and community members who are working to ensure that Babita’s contributions are not forgotten.

Tributes and memorial initiatives in Mount Edgecombe, Durban, and Mondeor, Joburg, have kept discussions around ethics and accountability at the forefront.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who continues to honour Babita’s legacy. Initiatives like these not only preserve her memory but also keep alive the important conversations around courage, ethics and standing up for what is right,” Rakesh said.

Babita’s memory will be commemorated with a monument that will be unveiled on August 9 at the Shri Mariammen Temple in Mount Edgecombe.

The Deokaran family thanked the Mount Edgecombe Arts and Cultural Council, the Shri Mariammen Temple committee, and all involved in bringing the honour to Babita’s memory.

Babita, who was a senior Gauteng Health Department official, was killed in August 2021 after exposing corruption within the South African Government and in the public health sector.

Her family says public commemorations help ensure her sacrifice continues to inspire others to speak out against wrongdoing.

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