Cape Town - The snail’s pace in trying the men accused of assassinating Gauteng Department of Health senior finance official and whistle-blower Babita Deokaran not only robs her grieving family of justice, but is a huge blow in the fight against corruption.
We should not take comfort in the fact that six people have been arrested when, a year after Deokaran’s murder, none of them has had to answer for the crime they are charged with.
The 53-year-old mother was the chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, and was assisting with investigations into PPE tender scandals that rocked the provincial Health Department.
Less than a week after the killing, six men were charged with her murder.
If it was not for her, perhaps the rot in that Gauteng department would have been worse than the general public knows.
To say that whistle-blowers have become the last line of our defence would be an understatement. That is why it is shameful to see that the trial of the murder accused has been marred by delays.
A year later, South Africans remain in the dark about the masterminds behind her murder.
Marking the first anniversary of her killing, her brother-in-law, Pastor Tony Haripersadh, demanded justice.
“We want the world to know that they may have silenced Babita as one voice that spoke out so courageously, but a million other voices have arisen, not only in this country, but all over the world. Today we remember her memory and honour her for her dignity, her courage and fearlessness.
“What we have been through in the past year, we do not wish that any other family in South Africa goes through the (same) hurt, the pain and the anguish that we have experienced.
Today we feel the same, the way we felt one year ago on this day when she was taken from us,” he said.
His words make it hard to blame those who believe that the justice system is failing whistle-blowers. Some, like Athol Williams, have had to flee the country for their safety.
Deokaran paid the ultimate price for the good of our country. As things stand, our country has failed to honour her sacrifice.
We have time to correct this. South Africans should therefore join hands and demand a speedy trial for all of us to get closure.
Cape Times