Standing from left: Venashree Naidu (Mount Edgecombe Arts and Cultural Council), Sooresh Deokaran (Babita Deokaran's brother), and council members Benny Maistry and Sharon Naidoo. Seated from left, Deokaran's sisters, Meera Mangali and Shaleen Ramgulam.
August marks the fifth anniversary of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran’s tragic death, and to commemorate her life, legacy and courageous stance against corruption in South Africa's healthcare system, the Mount Edgecombe Arts and Cultural Council and the Shri Mariammen Temple Society will unveil a monument in her honour on Women's Day.
Deokaran, 53, the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, was killed in an alleged hit on August 23, 2021, for bravely blowing the whistle on fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital.
Three days after her death, six men were arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. They have since been sentenced. However, the search for the “mastermind or masterminds” continues.
In light of this significant event on August 9, the council launched a BackaBuddy campaign, calling for R250,000 in financial assistance to facilitate the unveiling ceremony and associated activities.
