Pretoria – Today marks a year since senior finance official at the Gauteng Department of Health and whistle-blower was brutally murdered at the entrance of her home in Joburg, and her family says her death was not in vain.
Babita Deokaran, 53, was the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health and was assisting with investigations into PPE tender scandals which rocked the provincial Health Department.
During a memorial event held at the exact spot where Deokaran took her last breath amid a hail of bullets, her brother-in-law Pastor Tony Haripersadh demanded justice.
“Our prayer as a family is that justice must prevail. Those that were responsible for her assassination, those that ordered her assassination, the perpetrators must be brought to book. We have faith to believe that the justice system in South Africa will prevail,” Haripersadh addressed the sombre gathering.
“Those responsible must be identified and brought to book. But as a family may I also say today, as a pastor, we firmly believe that even if they get away here, God is watching. Someday we will have to stand before God and give an account of our lives. She has not died in vain, she died for South Africa.”
He said the death of Deokaran has sharpened the resolve in other whistle-blowers.
“We want the world to know that they may have silenced Babita as one voice that spoke out so courageously, but a million other voices have arisen not only in this country but all over the world. Today we remember her memory and honour her for her dignity, her courage and fearlessness,” he said.
“Her memory will live forever with our family and her young daughter. We are also proud of the fact that she died as a hero. Today we wanna thank God, we wanna pray that our country becomes safe, corruption will be eradicated. We wanna pray for whistle-blowers and their families.”
Haripersadh said it has been a tough year for the family since the cold-blooded murder of Deokaran.
“What we have been through in the past year, we do not wish that any other family in South Africa goes through the (same) hurt, the pain and the anguish that we have experienced. Today we feel the same, the way we felt one year ago on this day when she was taken from us. May God bless South Africa,” he said.
Less than a week after the shooting, six men were charged with her murder. Their case continues in the High Court in Johannesburg.
IOL