The inaugural Babita Deokaran Annual Lecture organised by the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research (ACCERUS) under the leadership of Prof Pregala “Solosh” Pillay was held at the Stellenbosch University (SU) School of Public Leadership on 9 December 2025. Centred on the theme “From Silence to Justice: Celebrating the Courage and Triumph of Whistleblowers,” the event marked four years since the assassination of Babita Deokaran on 23 August 2021 outside her Johannesburg home. At the time of her death, she was Acting Chief Financial Officer of the Gauteng Department of Health and a key witness in investigations into fraudulent personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement. Her courageous actions – including halting more than R850 million in irregular payments at Tembisa Hospital – made her a symbol of integrity in the public sector. Yet despite her pivotal role, she received no protection. Her murder remains a stark reminder of the dangers whistleblowers face in South Africa.
