Deokaran assassination ‘crushing setback' to whistleblowers
Corruption Watch says the assassination of Babita Deokaran has delivered a crushing setback to whistleblower reports.
Tuesday marks exactly a year since 53-year-old Deokaran was shot and killed outside her Winchester Hills home in Gauteng.
She was killed after blowing the whistle on corruption around the procurement of a R332 million personal protective equipment scandal in the provincial Health Department.
Six suspects, all alleged hitmen from KZN, were arrested in connection with her murder.
They're due back in court on Wednesday after a pre-trial hearing in July.
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Kavisha Pilla, who's with NPO Corruption Watch, says while Deokaran's death has raised concerns about the safety of whistleblowers, not enough is being done to protect them.
"People are very scared about that, they are quite hesitant to make these disclosures because they understand the issues that whistleblowers have to face. For example, Babita was assassinated, and Athol Williams had to flee the country.
“There's been a number of whistleblowers in the state capture era who testified in the Zondo Commission who talks about what happened to their lives and livelihoods who lost their jobs. So the negative consequences of whistleblowers is definitely up front and centre and that's important to understand.”
Deokaran's family will join the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and other civil society groups for a memorial rally at Mondeor Baptist Church in Joburg.
