RIP Sizani Ngubane: The cruel and lonely Covid-19 death of an exceptional woman
By Opinion
By Mary de Haas
Confirmation of the death of Sizani Ngubane, aged 74, on December 23, sent shock waves through her extensive South African and international networks of those who knew her dedication to, and unceasing work for, the rights of rural women through the Rural Womenâs Network.
However, when the announcement was made, she had been dead for days â perhaps even a week or more â having suffered a lonely, tormented Covid-19 death in her Hilton home.
Fingers are now being pointed at the provincial Department of Health and the local police for their failure to respond to the barrage of pleas from her son, Thulani, who had himself been hospitalised, seriously ill with Covid-19, to assist her.