Babita Deokaran: Foundations Say Murder of PPE Tender Witness Was an Organised Hit

• Two organisations have spoken out about the brutal murder of mother and senior official at Gauteng Health's Finance Department, Babita Deokaran
• Deokaran was killed in a hail of bullets and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation believes that her murder was a hit
• Amnesty International South Africa wants whistleblowers to be taken more care of and to receive protection

Amnesty International South Africa and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation have raised their concerns about the murder of Babita Deokaran. Deokaran was a senior Gauteng Health Department Finance official who was a witness in a scandal.

The scandal involved personal protective equipment. The 53-year-old mother was shot dead earlier this week shortly after she dropped her child off at school. Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Neeshan Balton believes that the murderers had waited for Deokaran outside her house.

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He stated that the killers planned a professional hit and even jammed the CCTV cameras in the area where she lived. Balton, according to EWN, visited Deokaran's house and saw her car covered in bullet holes.

Balton added that if the allegations that are emerging are true, then her murder was an "extremely professional" hit.

News24 confirmed that more details surrounding her death are emerging while Executive Director for Amnesty International South Africa Shenilla Mohamed stated that whistleblowers like Deokaran need to be protected as it is essential to fighting corruption in the country.

There are also calls for the President and government to take a step forward and do more in terms of protecting whistleblowers of corruption.

Deokaran's funeral will be held on Thursday, 26 August, in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Witness in PPE scandal shot and killed outside Johannesburg home

Previously, Briefly News reported that just after dropping her child off at school, Babita Deokaran was shot several times outside her home in Johannesburg. The 53-year-old was reportedly a witness in one of the Special Investigating Unit's (SIU) probes into the corruption of the awarding of personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders.

According to Daily Maverick, police believe that her murder was most likely a hit. However, SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago stated that it was too early in the investigation to make any sort of connection between her testimony and her killing.

Kganyago stated that Deokaran had assisted with many investigations in the past. When the publication inquired about Deokaran's lack of formal witness protection, they were informed that there was no indication of a threat.

Source: Briefly News