Bail application in Babita Deokaran murder case postponed to December 9

The bail application of the six men accused of killing Gauteng Health whistleblower Babita Deokaran has been postponed to 9 December at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.

Deokaran was gunned down outside her Johannesburg home in August this year. The senior official at the provincial health department was a key witness in an investigation into tender fraud surrounding personal protective equipment.

All six accused will have to remain behind bars until the resumption of their bail application. This time around the matter was postponed over confusion around the nationality of accused number 3, Phinda Ndlovu.

It’s been heard that he initially stated to the investigating officer that he was Zimbabwean, but during court proceedings, he claimed to be from South Africa.

Earlier, the defence brought an application to reopen the bail application for a supplementary affidavit to be handed into the court.

The application by the defence is based on a statement by former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, where through his lawyers, stated that he is shocked to hear his name being brought up in the case.

Mkhize also stated he had no knowledge or involvement in the matter.

The defence claims that the Minister’s statement corroborates accused number 1, Phakamani Hadebe’s statement that he never met the Minister before.

Hadebe in his bail application retracted his statements where he alleged that he met with Mkhize a week before Deokarans death.

Judgment expected in the bail application of the six accused: