By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The case against six men accused of the murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran has been postponed to the 15th of August in the High Court in Johannesburg.
Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyiswa Dladla appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Monday for what was supposed to be the start of their trial, however, prosecutor advocate Steven Reuben told the court that both parties had agreed to postpone the matter to next week.
Judge Motsamai Makume granted the postponement.
Deokaran, who was killed in August 2021, was a senior health official at the Gauteng Department of Health.
In the weeks leading to her death, she had flagged R850 million worth of suspicious payments out of Tembisa Hospital and she’s widely thought to have been assassinated.
The six accused have been charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) meanwhile says it will challenge Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on why 10 staff members at the Tembisa Hospital are still working despite the SIU recommending they be disciplined over irregular contracts to fraudulent companies.
The officials still at Tembisa Hospital include the Deputy Director: Supply Chain, two Financial clerks, an Admin clerk, a Food Service Manager, Assistant Manager Nursing, Chief Physiotherapist and Physiotherapist, and a Medical Officer.
There should have been no delays in disciplining them as the evidence is readily available in the SIU report which the Premier released in December last year, read the DA statement.