No closure for Babita Deokaran family despite sentencing
The family of slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who was assassinated two years ago, says their fight for justice is not over.
On Tuesday, the High Court in Johannesburg handed prison sentences of between six and 22 years to the six men convicted of her murder.
Family spokesperson Tony Haripersadh says they are pleased with the outcome, but "the person who ordered the killing and who paid for it and who instituted the entire thing, that person is still out there at large and possibly living his or her life as normal.
"So that makes it a bit difficult for the family because it is not easy for us to get any closure because these gentlemen who admitted to committing the crime were men that were hired to do the hit. So, the family is disappointed that it has come to this conclusion where we are hoping that it is not yet closed."
Deokaran, 53, who was from Durban, was Gauteng Health's Acting CFO and, at the time, was assisting in a corruption investigation into a PPE tender.
She exposed fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital worth hundreds of millions of rands.
Haripersadh says today marks exactly two years since she was shot outside her home in Johannesburg.
"Over the past two years, we have expected so much more to be done, and unfortunately, it is sad that just recently, those officials in Tembisa Hospital that were responsible for this mismanagement of funds and corruption, they were suspended.
"It makes us think the fact that she died for a good cause which she believed in and stood for truth and justice, and we are hoping that it was not futile."
The Health Department's welcomed the outcome but says it hopes this isn't the end of the case.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and other civil society organisations will pay homage to Deokaran on Wednesday afternoon.
