Africa-Press – South-Africa. The case of the six men accused of killing Gauteng health department official and whistleblower Babita Deokaran has been postponed again – this time to give the defence an opportunity to take further instructions on funding and certain documents.
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The accused – Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyiswa Dladla – appeared briefly in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning, a day after the one-year anniversary of Deokaran’s death.
Their lawyer, Shafique Sarlie, told the court: “Regrettably, we have not been able to reach some agreement with family and friends [who are apparently raising money to fund the defence] of the accused. We require more time, my lady.”
Sarlie said the defence had been furnished with more evidence in the docket and that they expected to receive more documents from the State.
The court postponed the case to 6 October.
The accused have been charged with murder, and the attempted murder of Deokaran’s domestic worker, who was in the car with her at the time of the shooting. They face additional charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and conspiracy to murder.
All of the accused were denied bail last year.
Babita Deokaran: Citizenship of one of the accused called into question
At the time of her murder, Deokaran worked in the Gauteng health department’s Financial Unit, investigating several corruption cases. Her killing has been widely described as a hit.
During their bail application in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, the defence alleged that the accused were forced to make concessions, including one that implicated former health minister Zweli Mkhize as their paymaster. They claimed police assaulted their clients.
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Mkhize later released a statement denying any knowledge of or involvement in Deokaran’s murder.
A News24 investigation found that five of the six men hailed from the same village in rural KwaZulu-Natal, and that they had gathered for a function before Deokaran’s murder.
Another exclusive revealed that Mbhele was still receiving a salary from the Inkosi Langalibalele District Municipality in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, where he worked, even though he was behind bars and went AWOL in March.
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