News24 reports that six men accused of murdering whistleblower Babita Deokaran pleaded guilty to her murder in the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday, which was the second anniversary of her murder.

Deokaran was killed after she blew the whistle on fraud and corruption at Tembisa Hospital. The six men were handed different sentences according to the roles they played in the murder. In a plea agreement between the State and the defence, the amount of time the six men had spent in custody awaiting trial was taken into consideration. The sentences handed down ranged from 22 to six years in prison. In sentencing the accused, Judge Motsamai Makume said the court was not satisfied because the person who pulled the trigger had not been arrested. "There are people in this matter who are not named," he pointed out. The judge added that murder, corruption and drugs remained a huge problem, and people who committed those crimes should not expect mercy from the courts. Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the authorities were looking into "certain people of interest" named during the plea and sentence negotiations. "They provided us with information that will get us the mastermind," she added.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Belinda Pheto at News24

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page