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13 April 2021, 5:45 AM | Aphumelele Mdlalane | @SABCNews Image: Sipho KekanaIn March 2013, seven accused police officers were found not guilty of Tatane s murder. The family of the late Ficksburg community activist, Andries Tatane, is yet to recover from their tragic loss, on this day ten years ago. Tatane died after he was beaten and shot with rubber bullets during a confrontation with the police. The street leading to the home of Andries Tatane remains riddled with potholes. Tatane was an activist, husband and a doting father of two young sons. He used to occupy a back room at his home which remained a constant reminder of what he wanted to achieve in life. ....
Nearly 10 years have passed since Andries Tatane was shot and killed during a service delivery protest in the small eastern Free State town of Ficksburg on 13 April 2011. His final moments were broadcast on the evening news, to the nation’s horror. Images of the 33-year-old’s hand clutching his bloodied chest where he had been pierced by a rubber bullet are embedded in the country’s psyche as a symbol of democracy unravelling. Family members say Tatane would be aghast to see that little has improved in Ficksburg or its neighbouring township, Meqheleng, where he lived. Riddled with potholes and debris, the area, which borders Lesotho, is poorly maintained and many are pointing fingers at the failing Setsoto Local Municipality. ....