The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) is demonstrating outside the offices of the Gauteng Department of Health, calling for action against all those implicated in the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran.
The 53-year-old was gunned down outside her Johannesburg home, a year ago in what is believed to have been a hit linked to her unearthing corruption in the department.
Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage says the organisation has written to the department asking for answers on a number of corruption-related matters, however, has received no response.
He says one year since her death, little has been done to bring her family justice.
“We are disgusted quite frankly. In this case, it’s about how late and how long it has taken the [Gauteng] Health MEC [Nomathemba Mokgethi] to take action. The action that [is] being taken now is too late. A forensic investigation needed to have taken place around the red flags that she raised, about the misspending at Tembisa Hospital. We are quite disgusted at the lack of urgency in dealing with corruption in this country,” says Duvenage.
Babita Deokarana case postponed to October 6 for a pre-trial hearing: Wayne Duvenage
Suspension of health officials
Last week, the Gauteng government suspended its Health Department Chief Financial Officer Lerato Madyo and the Tembisa Hospital CEO Ashley Mthunzi over allegations of improper procurement and payment of service providers at the hospital.
They are also suspected of possible links to the murder of Deokaran.
A recent News24 investigation revealed that weeks before her murder, Deokaran had raised concern over dubious payments at the Tembisa Hospital.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng Premier, Vuyo Mhaga, said that another senior health official has recently been threatened.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura makes an announcement on the investigation into theTembisa Hospital:
