The family of murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran says the principles she lived by will continue to guide and inspire future whistleblowers in South Africa.
Deokaran was gunned down outside her Johannesburg home four years ago, shortly after exposing corruption that halted more than R850 million in dubious payments at Thembisa Hospital.
Stellenbosch University honoured her legacy on Monday with the inaugural Babita Deokaran Lecture at its Bellville campus. Speaking at the event, her brother, Rakesh Deokaran, said the country needs more people who embody the integrity and courage she displayed.
He urged South Africans to emulate her values, saying that “if people can take a page out of her book and live life by her values, South Africa would be a great country.”
Meanwhile, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said Deokaran’s story serves both as a warning and a call to action. He noted that while her honesty exposed a corruption syndicate, systemic failures left her vulnerable.
Hlabisa said her legacy must be honoured by strengthening systems, protecting whistleblowers, and ensuring that courage like hers is recognised rather than punished.