Kathrada Foundation says Babita Deokaran’s ‘ghost’ will haunt the corrupt until masterminds are jailed

Five years after the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation says her “ghost still haunts the corrupt” and is calling for those who ordered her murder to be jailed.

Foundation marks anniversary with demand for justice

The foundation marked the fifth anniversary of Deokaran’s killing by warning that South Africa has not delivered justice against the masterminds behind her death. Neeshan Balton, executive director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said the message is “terrifying” and that “if you expose top-level corruption, you stand entirely alone.”

What Deokaran exposed and subsequent probes

Deokaran, described in the source as a senior Gauteng health official, was gunned down outside her home in August 2021 after exposing irregular tenders at Tembisa Hospital. She highlighted how contracts were deliberately split under R500,000 to bypass National Treasury oversight.

The Special Investigating Unit later confirmed that more than R2.04 billion was stolen through 207 front companies and nine syndicates.

Convictions, asset seizures and unfinished justice

Six hitmen were convicted in 2023 and are serving sentences ranging from six to 22 years. But the foundation and Deokaran’s family say justice remains incomplete because those who allegedly ordered and financed the assassination have not been prosecuted.

In July 2026, the Johannesburg High Court granted a R326 million forfeiture order against the Maumela Syndicate, stripping it of luxury vehicles and a Bantry Bay mansion. Earlier rulings include a Special Tribunal order that a Ferrari SF90 Stradale linked to businessman Hangwani Maumela be sold for no less than R9.5 million; the Ferrari was purchased for R11.1 million in April 2022 and has been under preservation at Ferrari South Africa.

Balton cautioned that asset seizures alone do not amount to justice, saying that “Every mansion represents a clinic left without basic antibiotics. Every leather seat in those luxury fleets represents a broken elevator in a public hospital.”

Calls for accountability and state action

The foundation said Deokaran’s true monument must be a transparent, uncompromised state and urged that tender syndicates be dismantled and “the masterminds” imprisoned so no South African must choose between their life and their integrity.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that investigations to identify and prosecute the mastermind remain active, calling it “an urgent priority for the police to finally crack the case.” Cachalia said he meets monthly with DPCI investigators and added that “part of the reason we don’t have justice today is that those people are in positions of power and able to protect themselves.”

Family and civil society demand closure

The anniversary event at the scene of the murder was attended by family, friends and civil society groups. A memorial service honoured Deokaran’s sacrifice and served as a demonstration of solidarity with whistleblowers.

Her brother, Rakesh Deokaran, voiced the family’s anguish: “All we want is the mastermind. Because at the end of the day, the reality of life is, the hitman does not hire himself. There’s someone who actually did it.”

Civil society organisations echoed calls for accountability. Balton said: “Madlanga might be pointing to some of them. I hope it gets to the point of probing this angle. It would appear that the seriousness the case requires is just not there.”

Legacy and continued demands

A bronze bust of Deokaran stands at her childhood home. For the Kathrada Foundation, the case is also about the integrity of South Africa’s democracy: “Her ghost will continue to haunt the corrupt until the state proves it can protect whistleblowers and punish those who profit from betrayal,” Balton said.