The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says they have uncovered a wide range of syndicates following the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran.

Today marks four years since Deokaran was assassinated outside her home after she halted R850 million in suspicious payments to hundreds of companies linked to Tembisa Hospital.

SIU Head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, says Deokaran may have been silenced, but her fight against corruption lives on.

Mothiba has assured the family that they will find the masterminds and are very close to cracking the case.

Mothibi was speaking at the unveiling of Deokaran’s remembrance plaque at her former housing complex in Winchester Hills, Johannesburg, where she was gunned down after dropping her daughter off at school.

“We have found that there are more than four syndicates that are operating and some of those who are in those syndicates some of them have been arrested and we are continuing to work with SAPS, in particular the Hawks, to ensure that they face the full might of the law in terms of the criminality they committed at Tembisa Hospital through corruptly obtaining tenders and colluding with some officials in the department.”

Vavi wants the mastermind to face the full might of the law

The South African Federation of Trade Unions’ General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has called on the South African Police Service and the SIU to ensure that the mastermind behind Deokaran’s murder faces the full might of the law.

“The person who had paid the criminals once identified by the police was himself eliminated so that he would not reveal where the money came from. As we speak here, we don’t know who the masterminds are. We are therefore standing here to make a call to the SIU, police and to the state as whole, we want to know who planned, who hired, who offered money to the crooks who came here to kill Babita. Our souls will not rest until we find out who are the planners of this deed. We won’t let Babita die in vain. And our suspicion is the money would have probably come from Tembisa hospital itself.”  – Reporting by Nomtsikelelo Mthabela and Ntombi Mavimbela

VIDEO | Vavi calls on SAPS, SIU to ensure mastermind faces full might of the law: