Judgment in the bail application of six men accused of the murder of former Gauteng health department official Babita Deokaran has been postponed to December 20.

Deokaran, 53, the chief director of financial accounting, was gunned down outside her home in Winchester Hills, south of Johannesburg, in August, after she had dropped off her daughter at school.

Deokaran was one of 300 witnesses in the Special Investigating Unit probe into the Gauteng PPE scandal.

The accused — Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Phinda Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyisa Dladla — made a brief appearance  in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Thursday.

The courtroom was packed with journalists, photographers and some family members of the accused.

Deokaran’s brother, Rakesh, 48, was also in attendance.

State prosecutor Steve Rubin and attorney for the accused Peter Wilkins agreed that the bail application judgment should be set down for December 20 to give the court enough time to consider the affidavit read on behalf of Ndlovu, who is accused no. 3 in the matter.

During their last appearance, the bail application was postponed to ascertain Ndlovu’s nationality.

Wilkins read out an affidavit written by Ndlovu’s mother, stating that he is South African.

Magistrate Sipho Sibanyoni said he will go through the affidavit.

Earlier, a court official, police and private security ordered some friends and neighbours of the family members of the accused to leave the courtroom due to Covid-19 restrictions.