THE six men accused of killing Gauteng health department official Babita Deokaran were denied bail by the Joburg Magistrates Court on Monday, 20 December.
Magistrate Simon Sibanyoni said it was abundantly clear that the interest of justice did not permit their release on bail. He said all applicants failed dismally to prove exceptional circumstances not to be kept in custody.
“All six applicants either by confession or point-outs at this stage, are linked to the murder of Babita Deokaran until such time a trial court makes a finding of such admissibility or pointing out,” said Sibanyoni.
Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Hadebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyiswa Dladla had brought an application to be released on bail, claiming they were not involved in Deokaran’s murder.
They face additional charges of being in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
They were allegedly paid a sum of R400 000 for contract killing. Phakamani allegedly confessed to the murder and implicated former health minister Zweli Mkhize, which he later retracted and claimed he was tortured to make.
Sibanyoni said there was a possibility that the alleged hitmen from KZN may not be able to be retraced in case they don’t come back to court since their home town addresses were not known to the police. They were arrested on 26 August at a house in Rosettenville, which they had occupied for only three weeks before Deokaran’s killing.
“It has been established that a photo of a residence of the deceased was saved in the accused’s (Mazibuko’s) phone,” said the magistrate.
He said the state showed that Mazibuko’s vehicle was used in the murder. The alleged mastermind is still at large.
Deokaran was gunned down on 23 August outside her home in Winchester Hills, south of Joburg, after she dropped off her daughter at school. She was a key witness in alleged corruption around the department’s procurement of personal protective equipment.
The matter was postponed to 24 February 2022 for further investigations.
