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Death of Andries Tatane’s wife raises issues of service delivery once more

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Andries Tatane's wife, Malehlohonolo Rose Picture: Kabelo Tlhabanelo
Andries Tatane's wife, Malehlohonolo Rose Picture: Kabelo Tlhabanelo

The passing away of slain activist Andries Tatane’s wife, Rose, in a car accident on Monday night has led to a resurgence around the issue of service delivery which continues to plague the community of Ficksburg.

Rose was in Lesotho when the driver of the vehicle she was travelling in lost control and crashed into a farm, according to reports by The Sowetan.

Both Rose and the driver passed away.

An investigation is underway to determine why Rose was in Lesotho at the time, but the Sowetan reported on April 13 that Rose was forced to fetch water in Lesotho by hiring a driver with a bakkie, due to the water shortages she and fellow community members were experiencing.

“I’m very angry that six years after my husband was killed by police for fighting for service delivery, I’m still subjected to lack of water.

“Every now and then I have to pay money to get my buckets across [the Caledon River] to Maputsoe for water. It’s humiliating. It’s like he died for nothing. This municipality continues to humiliate us,” Rose told the Sowetan.

Her husband, Andries, was shot with rubber bullets and then beaten to death in 2011 by police officials, after leading the protests in which angry residents took to the streets to demand access to safe and clean water, housing and infrastructural development.

At the time, Tatane and fellow residents of the Meqheleng Township were marching to the Ficksburg municipal offices with a memorandum in hand, to voice their issues over service delivery.

Six police officers were arrested in connection with his death, which made international headlines.

After his death, Rose continued to champion her husband’s cause by vocalising her constant issues which she had with the municipality.

In a recent interview with OFM on April 18, Rose said that there were still issues surrounding the lack of access to water.

“Things have changed, but not that much,” she said.

Following the death of Andries Tatane, City Press ran the Tatane Project, aimed at showcasing service delivery issues around the country, in honour of Tatane and what he stood for.

In 2015, City Press reported that R18 million was spent on a 10-megalitre reservoir and on refurbishing the water purification plant to ensure that water is pumped directly to Tatane’s home township of Meqheleng.

Despite this upgrade, the community continued to face constant water shortages, with water restrictions in place and water only available from 4am-9am and 4pm-9pm on a daily basis.

The Setsoto municipality, which Ficksburg falls under, said in a statement earlier today that the water shortages are as a result of a number of factors, including its worst drought in 2015.

“In the past 36 months (3 years) we have continually received less than the average rainfall including the worst drought in 2015. The result is that despite recent rains, our sources of raw water remain suspect,” the statement read.

On the issue of the death of Ms Malehlohonolo Rose Mohlaping we have expressed our condolences to the family and may her soul and that of the driver rest in peace,” the municipality said.

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