Babita Deokaran was a South African whistleblower murdered for reporting corruption at the Gauteng Department of Health where she was working as the acting chief director financial accounting officer.
[4][5] The case caused significant controversy in South Africa given Deokaran's status as an anti-corruption whistleblower and the lack of protection afforded to her by the state.
[4] This information enabled the authorities to trace the vehicle to a former member of the South African National Defence Force living in the Pretoria area[4] and resulted in the arrest of six suspects.
[13] The Sunday Times report also stated that CCTV cameras in the area had been mysteriously disabled just prior to the assassination whilst sophisticated surveillance software might have been used to monitor Deokaran's mobile phone and track her movements.
The Daily Maverick published an editorial questioning why public officials received generous protection details whilst witnesses who blow the whistle on serious acts of corruption, like Deokaran, received no protection thereby raising questions about the South African government's commitment to fighting corruption in South Africa.
[20] A News24 investigation concluded that African National Congress (ANC) Ekurhuleni treasurer-general Sello Sekhokho ran a number of businesses that were allegedly involved in corrupt dealings with the Gauteng Department of Health.