South African Whistleblower, Witness in COVID-19 Contract Scandal, Killed

The shooting death of a South African health agency financial investigator who was a witness in an investigation of alleged corruption in the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment was seen as a message not to report wrongdoing.

Seven people were arrested in the murder of Babita Deokaran, Chief Director of Financial Accounting in the Gauteng Department of Health, a province north of Johannesburg, where she was killed in a hail of bullets shot through her car window outside her home after she dropped her child off at school.

She was a witness in investigations into suspect COVID-19 contracts worth millions of rands (dollars) being conducted by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) media reports said.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura said she had uncovered corruption and stopped payments of irregular contracts in the department at different levels, including in hospitals, The Daily Maverick reported.

A source not identified told the paper the alleged hitman was waiting for her when she pulled up outside her home and fired a number of shots. “This was to make sure that she was killed. The multiple shots fired are an indication that she had to be taken out,” the source said.

Makhura said that, “She took to heart the call to bring perpetrators of corruption and looting of public resources to book. As a result of her conscientious and courageous leadership, Ms. Deokaran provided crucial evidence to the disciplinary processes conducted by the Office of the Premier and the SIU investigations.”

The names of those arrested weren't given and no motive was given nor whether they were acting on orders of others, but the newspaper said it appeared to be a precision killing and that the attackers knew when she would stop at her home.

Deokaran’s family said it believes whoever is responsible for her murder wanted to silence her. The family spokesperson and her brother-in-law, Bishop Tony Haripersadh, said whistleblowers must be protected.

“We are grateful to see that there is progress. We hope that whoever ordered the hit and is the mastermind must be identified and brought to book,” he told EWN affiliate Radio 702.

LIVES IN THE BALANCE

The Daily Maverick said the SIU found that money intended to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 workers in the front line of fighting the pandemic was channeled to companies that submitted inflated invoices or failed to follow proper procedures.

South Africa's Protected Disclosures Act aimed at protecting whistleblowers is 21 years old and states that those who reveal wrongdoing will have their identity kept secret but Deokaran reportedly did not seek police protection.

John Clarke, a social worker providing psychosocial support to whistleblowers, said he has found that, “the most cost effective plank in any platform for anti-corruption is to ensure whistleblowers are soundly protected because they have access to the hard evidence needed to ensure effective prosecution, especially in financial crime.”

Richard Chelin, a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Security Studies told the Associated Press that, “The moment that somebody starts becoming important in a corruption investigation, there is always a threat to their lives.””

“In this case, the Special Investigations Unit said the health official did not feel that her life was in danger, but the question is whether or not you still provide protection in that case,” said Chelin.

He said killings like that of Deokaran are used to send a message to other potential whistleblowers to warn them against cooperating with police investigations although police said they would protect other witnesses in the COVID-19 probe.

“The murder of Ms. Deokaran shold not deter South Africans and public servants from reporting allegations of corruption, malpractice, greed and maladministration in the affairs government departments, municipalities and state-owned entities,” the SIU said.

Allegations of COVID-19 related corruption in the province where Deokaran was the chief investigator of financial crime has led to several senior officials being fired, including former provincial health minister Bandile Masuku.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman Khusela Diko was also suspended from her position after her late husband Thandisizwe Diko was implicated and the country's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize was forced to resign after allegations that he and his family benefited from a COVID-19-related communications contract awarded by his department, The AP noted.

There seems to be no stopping the phenomenon in South Africa and the murder showed how far criminals intent on stealing money will go, even at the cost of risking people's lives over the pandemic.

“The Culture of Corruption has spread like a cancer together with the evisceration of the Police .. and criminal justice system as a whole, so wherever there is money to be stolen the criminal syndicates will be there,” said Clarke.

Premier Makhura said that, “We will not be cowed down by criminal gangs who want to loot state resources. We are taking steps to protect officials who have become targets of threats, intimidation and wanton murder.”