The Gauteng health department, where senior official Babita Deokaran worked before she was killed in front of her home for tender-related matters, is leading the pack in terms of officials that are resisting lifestyle audits.
It has emerged that Gauteng premier David Makhura has instructed MEC for health Nomathemba Mokgethi and the head of department (HOD)
Nomonde Nolutshungu to furnish him with a report on why officials that preside over tenders are refusing to be vetted by the State Security Agency (SSA).
Nolutshungu was appointed by Makhura in April, replacing Dr Sibongile Zungu who had been acting in the position since July last year.
Makhura met the MECs and heads of departments before revealing on Tuesday that the 84 senior officials in management positions who refused to be vetted faced the chop.
The premier, who dedicated the report – State of ethics, integrity management and anti-corruption work in Gauteng – to Deokaran, wants answers why officials are refusing to disclose their financial interests.
Makhura’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, confirmed that the premier wants to know why there was a pushback against vetting in the health department.
“At the moment, he might not have a full appreciation [of the situation], hence he is requesting a full report from MEC and HOD,” he said.
Mhaga said there was fear among whistleblowers, which is why Makhura believed his government must tighten protection for them.
In September, Sunday World reported that 12 days before she was gunned down execution style, Deokaran had been in contact with a colleague expressing concerns over her safety.
A piece of evidence showed that Deokaran had been concerned that her life was in danger because of the dodgy payments she had stopped to some contractors at the Tembisa Hospital.
On the morning of Wednesday August 11, Deokaran, chief director of financial accounting in the department, sent a chilling WhatsApp message to the department’s CFO at the time, Lerato Madyo.
“Morning CFO, I am just worried that the guys in Tembisa are going to realise we are not releasing their payments and know that we are on to something. Our lives could be in danger,” she said.
In reply, Madyo said she had requested former head of department Sibongile Zungu to approve a budget for a forensic investigation into the contracts.
“Thank you. I am praying that she [Zungu] grants approval soon so that we can start. Thank you for the support,” Deokaran told Madyo at 8.25am.
Twelve days later, on Monday August 23, at about 8.20am Deokaran died in a hail of bullets outside her home in the south of Johannesburg.
She had just dropped off her 16-year-old daughter at school, when shots were fired through the driver’s window of her Mercedes-Benz.
An official in the department at the time said Madyo and other officials in the department, especially supply chain management, were living in fear since the brutal killing of Deokaran.
They were also concerned that there seemed to be no protection offered by the government.
“Babita was executed. We are in a precarious situation. There is fear in how people are doing their work,” the official said.
“These kinds of attacks on officials have introduced fear, which will hamper service delivery. The people who got their contracts fair and square would not go to these lengths. There are several investigations into how we are paying contracts,” the official said, adding “we are dealing with mafias here”.
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