Johannesburg – Lamborghinis, Porsches, Ferraris, multi-million-rand properties, and lavish lifestyles – the extent of the greed seems limitless. As patients lay dying at Tembisa Hospital, funds meant for their care were allegedly being used to finance extravagant displays of wealth. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raids and asset seizures targeting the key figures behind the systematic looting of the hospital have exposed a level of brazen corruption that has left many South Africans reeling.
After four years, the wheels of justice are slowly turning, with tangible steps being taken to recover the more than R2 billion that was allegedly plundered from the Gauteng Department of Health.
At the heart of this unfolding saga is Babita Deokaran, a courageous whistleblower whose actions brought the corruption to light. Tragically, her bravery came at the highest cost. Babita, 53, was murdered in a hail of bullets outside her home in Mondeor, Johannesburg, in August 2021. Her assassination was a calculated attempt to silence her and allow the masterminds behind the sophisticated fraud network to continue enjoying their ill-gotten gains.
"We’re proud that Babita’s name continues to stand for honesty and courage, but it’s also a painful reminder of what we lost," says her brother, Rakesh Deokaran, 52, reflecting on the mixed emotions his family is experiencing as the scale of the looting becomes increasingly clear.
Like many South Africans, Rakesh is appalled by the shameless wastefulness with which the stolen millions were spent. The SIU raid on the R70 million Sandhurst mansion of businessman Hangwani Maumela, who was arrested in September, revealed a fully equipped home salon, massage parlour, hotel-style interiors, and a fleet of seven luxury vehicles: a Rolls-Royce, two Aston Martins, a Ferrari, and three Lamborghinis, estimated to be worth R60 million.
These assets, along with others worth a collective R320 million – including mansions in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, and Ballito – have been confiscated as part of the effort to recover the stolen Tembisa billions. Maumela's syndicate, having secured at least R415 million in hospital contracts, is believed to be the largest of the nine networks involved in the Tembisa looting.
The investigation has revealed a disturbing reality: while the hospital's infrastructure deteriorated and patients lacked access to essential resources such as food, medicine, and even toilet paper, Maumela and other tenderpreneurs allegedly enriched themselves through dubious contracts, supplying goods at inflated prices or not at all.
Maumela's connection to President Cyril Ramaphosa, as the nephew of his first wife, Hope Mudau, has also drawn scrutiny. However, the president has stated that the connection stems from his first marriage and insists that he has no relationship with Maumela.
Rakesh describes the family's reaction to the confiscated assets: "We felt extreme anger that she lost her life for Lamborghinis and mansions. People are living in that kind of luxury with the money that they stole while the hospital the money was meant for is in such a despicable state."
While the accountability is a welcome development, Rakesh acknowledges the bittersweet nature of the situation. "If action had been taken sooner, Babita might still be with us today. Justice feels meaningful, but it also reminds us of the price she paid for it."
Just 12 days before her murder, Babita, in her role as the acting chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng Department of Health, sent a chilling warning to her superior: "Our lives could be in danger." This warning came after she submitted a report exposing financial irregularities at Tembisa Hospital, with Maumela's firms being among the networks she flagged for benefiting from manipulated procurement processes involving medical consumables, catering, and cleaning services.
Her worst fears were realised when six men ambushed her in her driveway after she dropped her daughter, Thiara, at school. While Maumela's court date is yet to be confirmed, his alleged associates are already facing justice. Vusi "Cat" Matlala, for instance, has made multiple court appearances for tender fraud linked to Tembisa Hospital. Matlala has also been implicated in the murder of engineer Armand Swart, who was shot 23 times outside his office in Vereeniging in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity.
Babita's killers – Nhlangane Phinda Ndlovu, Phakamani Vincent Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko, and Siphakanyiswa Dladla – have been convicted and sentenced to between six and 22 years for their involvement in the assassination.
Despite the convictions, Rakesh says it's impossible for his family to move on completely, as his sister's story remains in the public eye. "But we understand it’s part of her impact. We lean on faith, on each other and on the love that we shared with her," he explains. "We’ve learnt to balance private grief with public remembrance and that’s helped us keep her memory alive without losing ourselves in the pain."
For Thiara, 20, healing comes from knowing that her mother's extraordinary courage has made a lasting difference. "It’s never easy but we’re there to support her," Rakesh says. "There are moments of sadness, of course, but also moments of pride. Each new headline reminds her of both the loss and the legacy – and she carries both with grace."
Babita would undoubtedly be proud of Thiara's accomplishments. After achieving five distinctions and an impressive 82% aggregate in her matriculation exams from Abbotts College in Johannesburg in 2023, she is now pursuing a BCom informatics degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. "She’s growing into a remarkable young woman," Rakesh says. "Thiara stands for what’s right, even when it’s not easy. She treats people with kindness and holds herself to the same moral standard her mother lived by. In many ways, she’s Babita’s living legacy."
While the recovery of the looted billions offers some solace, Rakesh emphasises that his family will not feel that justice has been fully served until the mastermind behind Babita's murder is identified and brought to justice. "We want to see prosecutions. The people responsible for her killing need to be held accountable," he says.
Babita's case has reignited calls for stronger whistleblower protections. While awareness and public conversation have increased, Rakesh stresses that genuine change requires concrete policy reform, robust safety mechanisms, and genuine political will. "Until whistleblowers are guaranteed protection, others will remain silent out of fear," he explains.
He hopes that his sister will be remembered not only as a symbol of sacrifice but also "as the gentle, loving and selfless person she truly was". "She was the heart of our family. She was soft-spoken but strong-willed, someone who always chose integrity over convenience."
Rakesh concludes with a sense of pride that, even four years after her death, Babita's actions continue to have a significant impact. "She stood alone, but her truth has outlived those who tried to silence her," he says. "Babita’s story is proof that integrity will always prevail in the end."
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