Slain corruption buster Babita Deokaran laid to rest in emotional send-off
Slain Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran has been hailed for her dedication to clean and ethical governance.
Deokaran was laid to rest in Phoenix, north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, days after brutal murder.
Deokaran, a senior finance official at the department, was killed on Monday morning in a suspected hit.
The 53-year-old succumbed to gunshot wounds at a local hospital after unknown suspects opened fire on her outside her home, south of Johannesburg.
Friends and family gathered to bid her farewell at a local school hall.
The harrowing cries of distraught mourners could be heard echoing though the hall.
Deokaran’s niece, Vanisha, said she still couldn’t come to terms with the events of this week
“You have left me shattered and now I’m not even sure that time will even heal this wound
“I will wait for the day that I get to see you again,” she said, holding back tears.
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Provincial government also paid tribute.
A Gauteng official read out a letter from Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi.
“She was a joy to work with, very easy to understand and there was never a dull moment with Babita. This was an ambitious person.
“No matter where she was appointed, she effected strategic changes, she produced tangible changes and led the way towards transformation.”
A relative read out a letter from KZN premier Sihle Zikalala who called for the law to take its course.
Babita was named as one of the key witnesses in an investigation into PPE tender corruption.
“Losing any loved one is a painful experience but it is even more painful when you use them in a manner like this,” said Zikalala.
“We reiterate the calls made by our counterparts in Gauteng that the law must take its course and that the killers must be brought to book,” he added.
No arrests have been made.
