Conviction of six men for murdering a whistle-blower only raises further questions about shadowy figures behind the scandal and the assassination

Two years have passed since the death of Gauteng official and whistle-blower Babita Deokaran, who met her fate at the hands of an assassin just outside her home. Her "crime": exposing suspicious payments amounting to nearly R1-billion in the corridors of Tembisa Hospital.

Despite the recent sentencing of six people linked to her murder, for jail terms ranging from six to 22 years, the court and the public are still grappling with many unanswered questions about the masterminds behind her murder.

"Babita Deokaran held multifaceted roles - a woman, mother, sister, friend, proud South African and the chief director of the Gauteng Department of Health's financial accounting division," read a family tribute at a poignant commemoration on the second anniversary of her death held at Christ the King Church in Mondeor, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 23 August.

It added: "Her unwavering commitment to truth over power proved to be her ultimate undoing. As the six men convicted of her assassination face the consequences, a shadow of doubt looms over whether they are mere pawns masking more influential figures entwined in the personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal she bravely exposed at Tembisa Hospital. In this climate, it becomes imperative that, much like...