National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has denied that the police failed to protect slain whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who was murdered in a hit-style killing outside her Johannesburg home in August 2021 after exposing large-scale corruption at Tembisa Hospital.

Masemola made the remarks before Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing corruption in the SAPS, responding to pointed questions from ActionSA MP Dereleen James about whether law enforcement had failed in its duty to safeguard Deokaran.

“Well, no, I don’t believe I failed her,” Masemola said, adding that he only knew Deokaran as a whistleblower after she was murdered.

Deokaran, who served as chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, had flagged hundreds of millions of rands in suspicious payments linked to Tembisa Hospital shortly before her death.

Her warnings uncovered what has since ballooned into one of South Africa’s largest corruption scandals.

Recently, a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report revealed that over R2 billion was looted from Tembisa Hospital through fraudulent procurement schemes.

The SIU has since raided the luxury Sandton mansion of businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela, alleged ringleader of the scheme, seizing assets worth about R820 million, including Lamborghinis, a Bentley, and high-end artwork.

Despite the conviction of six men for carrying out Deokaran’s murder, the masterminds behind the killing remain at large.

The controversial businessman, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, believed to be connected to fraudulent transactions in Tembisa Hospital, was arrested in 2025 on unrelated charges.

The failure to bring the planners to justice has reignited criticism over the protection — or lack thereof — for whistleblowers in South Africa.

Pressed further on the effectiveness of intelligence structures, Masemola conceded that security agencies were unaware of the threats against Deokaran.

“The intelligence, they are doing their work… But of course, the intelligence would not know what a whistleblower is going to say, probably,” he said.

He added that while the Justice Department was developing new legislation to strengthen whistleblower protection, SAPS currently offers “whatever assistance we can” when individuals come forward.

South Africa’s whistleblower protection framework has long been criticised as weak and reactive. Deokaran’s assassination, many say, epitomised the risks faced by public servants who expose corruption.

The committee session continues.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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