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.