A special monument in honour of assassinated whistleblower Babita Deokaran is to be unveiled at the Mount Edgecombe Shree Mariammen Temple in Durban on Women’s Day, 9 August 2026.
She was shot dead outside her home in Mondeor, Johannesburg, in August 2021.
Deokaran, who was Chief Director of Accounting in the Gauteng Health Department, had blown the whistle on fraud and corruption in the department.
Chairperson of the temple’s society, Seelan Archary says they will honor Babita Deokaran by way of placing a monument in her memory.
“We had a meeting with the Maritzburg Hindu Council and affiliate of ours. We were talking about many things around events at the temple, and one of the ladies mentioned Babita Deokaran and we got around a discussion on that subject. Out of that discussion grew the idea that we must honor Babita Deokaran by way of placing a monument in her memory. We are preparing to host thousands of people. The temple courtyard would be able to have some of the guests in front of the the monument, and also what we are doing is extending that particular venue to the school ground.”
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