Tatane killing a watershed - Helen Zille

The Hector Pieterson of his generation

Note to editors: This is an extract of a speech prepared for delivery at a public meeting in Namahadi which is part of the Mafube municipality in the northern Free State. Helen Zille's visit to the Free State comes days after a service delivery protestor, Andries Tatane, was shot and beaten to death by police in Ficksburg

Fellow South Africans,

The tragic events of the last week, not far from here in Ficksburg, will one day be seen as a watershed in our history.

The image of Andries Tatane being beaten and shot by the police is seared into our consciences. He committed no crime. All he did was protest against the collapse of service delivery in his town. The right to peaceful protest is protected by the constitution, so the police should have been protecting his rights, not following their "shoot-to-kill" orders. The fact that Mr Tatane was a COPE candidate standing for the May 18 election, adds a further sinister dimension to this tragedy.

At a time like this, we must recall Nelson Mandela's vision of a "rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world". We also remember his promise that "never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another."

We have to ask ourselves: Why has it come to this? And what does it mean for the future?

We have got to this point because the party in power has become disconnected from the people it is supposed to serve. The party is no longer of the people, by the people and for the people. It is for itself. The people just get in the way.

This is why people go without basic services for years and years. It is why, when people complain, their councillor doesn't listen. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can take a different path.

Andries Tatane's death does not have to be in vain. It should shock us all into making a different choice for our future. This is no time for political point scoring. It is a time for serious reflection across our nation of the implications of the images we saw this week. The tragedy of Andries Tatane's death is a warning we must heed.

And we must heed it in time. If we learn the right lessons from his tragic death, we can still stop our country sliding backwards towards the power abuse and police brutality of the past.

Unless the ruling party learns this lesson fast, the picture of Andries Tatane dying in the arms of his friend, Molefe Nonyane, will mark a point of no return for ANC rule, just as the picture of Hector Pieterson cradled in the arms of Mbuyisa Makhubo marked the turning point against apartheid rule.

The big difference between June 16 1976, when Hector Pieterson died, and 13 April 2011 when Andries Tatane died, is that South Africa is a constitutional democracy today. This means that each adult person has the power of their vote to call the government to account.

It is up to the people of South Africa to use that power to send the clearest possible signal that we will defend President Mandela's promise, and ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Issued by the Democratic Alliance, April 17 2011

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Tatane Killing Sharpville in instalments? Where next? by Sam van den Berg on April 18 2011, 01:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Soviet Union Just like the Soviet Union where despite the beautiful ideals of communism the party honchos lived in splendid harmony consuming French Champagne in their dachas while half the population froze to death. This happens when you put a party above the people. by Fanjan on April 18 2011, 08:44 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Tatane's assault & killing, further illustrate parallels between the oild NP & the new ANC. Remember Sharpeville? One reading of that, is that a NP decision to shoot to kill was made, behind closed doors of course, to stop the defiance campaign. We all know the new ANC operates almost entirely behind . .more closed doors, for things that really matter, down to branch levels, with substantial sacp 'influence'. Ask Tina Joemat et all! The question, is did such a closed decision operate in Tatane's case? Like with Sharpeville, we will not get the answer. The question remains, particularly on the back of the anc panic, & manipulations, faced with what COPE etc represent for the future. Or, alternatively, is it merely a case of a total collapse of policeing, also under anc control? That's not what the tv shows. . .less by gab ok on April 18 2011, 09:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Shoot the bastards said then Minister Susan Shabanghu Deputy security minister Susan Shabangu told police, 'I will not tolerate any P******* excuses' Police in South Africa were ordered yesterday to deal with criminals by "killing the bastards". Susan Shabangu, the country's security . .more minister, told officers not to worry about regulations, negotiations or warning shots. Instead, police should use the guns given to them and go for the kill. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-558689/Shoot-bastards--shoot-kill-South-African-minister-tells-police-criminals-mercy.html . .less by Citizen on April 18 2011, 10:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The ANC murders You also have to remember that places like Fickburg are in the ANC's farm killing belt. They encourage or turn a blind eye to the murder of farmers as a means to appease their voters. They cannot deliver services so they demonstrate their fight against a . .more past regime by facilitating these murder and justifing it with their songs. The ANC are the worst type of people and they are corroding our lives. . .less by The Clever Native on April 18 2011, 10:06 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The ANC speaks Shoot the Boer! Shoot the farmer! Shoot the IFP marcher! Shoot the COPE candidate! Shoot the protestor! Shoot the bastards! Shoot to kill! by Pieter Schoombee on April 18 2011, 10:36 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

I didn't know he was a COPE candidate This is the first time I have read it - was this mentioned by any other media ? It is becoming apparent that the ANC is getting dangerous. The longer they stay in power, the harder it will become to remove them, as is the case with . .more Mugabe. NOW is the time to give them a wake up call - to show them with your vote that you have had enough. That you want a decent government in charge that can make your life better and make you feel proud. Helen Zille is giving South Africans a window of opportunity that may not happen again. Use it wisely. . .less by Sad days on April 18 2011, 10:52 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

yes, sad days, & have you noticed how the sabc & others have kept any coverage of most COPE pre-election meetings, including Lekota 's immediate direct assistances at Ficksburg, simply airbrushed away from public view or consideration? That is, in addition to the highest level multiple anc interferences in COPE. . .more Can we also expect the IEC to join the dance? . .less by gab ok on April 18 2011, 11:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ANCpf DEMOPATHY-alert-in-FICKSBURG...?... Shoot the voters = ANCpfDemopathy-in-action...(then sing "Shoot rhe Boers")... ...see my posts on related POLITICSWEB article: FAILURE TO SUSPEND POLICE OFFICERS a DANGEROUS MISTAKE - SAIRR Frans Cronje on 15 April 2011 (then . .more belated arrest of the 6 SAPS footsoldiers, no mention of fate of Commanders, authorisors, political licence givers ?). One thing SA can be 100% certain about - this is certainly POLITICAL ! In REAL democracies senior Police Officers' heads would roll; even ComPolGen, Min of Police would expect to lose their jobs over such an incident (& I don't mean redeployed after golden parachutes & lengthy proceedings @ eyewatering taxpayer expense). So then, to which model is the ANCpf & its alliance partners incrementality aligning SA ? ChikurubiZizoReVanhu . .less by John Austin on April 18 2011, 11:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Gov backs defending shoot the boer song... which is chilling. I remember those dreadful days when people in the townships were burned alive. Those necklacing days had our own mother of the nation saying that "with these matches we will burn the country down" then remember the the Stompie . .more murder? When I see Julius and Winnie surrounded by body guards with that blood thirsty look on their faces defending a chant which the SACP and COSATU sing en masse, I ask myself the question "why are my own people so gullible?" We need active civil rights movements with sane members as much as we needed it before. Sane Black and White people have to stand together. Good must triumph in the end. . .less by Zinzi on April 18 2011, 11:37 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@gab OK There was NO decision behind closed doors to shoot at Sharpville, that is pure ANC myth-making (Uncle Ben and his communist friends needed an excuse to stab Lutuli in the back and turn to violence). It was a mistake, just as the Tatane killing was a . .more mistake. At Sharpville a small contignent of police was surrounded by a very large crowd (a largely peaceful crowd, but a crowd of people they had been taught to fear). In Tatane's case, the victom was surrounded by police. The NP had every reason to avoid an incident like Sharpville -- as their genuinely panicked reaction afterwards showed. What both incidents have in common is a top-down policy of kragdadigheid -- "Shoot to kill" said the man who put the name on the wrong monkey (Comrade Generalissiimo Field Marshall General Cele) . So they did. And they do, And they will. Another common factor was desperation -- in both cases desperation by the impoverished masses denied their rights as citizens, and desperation by an embattled one-party dictatorship. Libya? . .less by Sam van den Berg on April 18 2011, 11:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Sam van den Berg your response makes for good reading, for which you should be thanked; generally, & wrt the position of Luthuli. However, just as there is little verification of a decision on Luthuli & what he represented, so there is an intuitive context which suggests . .more that unless Sharpeville was handled the way it was, the then government were heading for even wider problems at that time, & 'something had to be done'. The parallels in the current Andries Tatane tragedy, intuitively, seem to be suggested, & even regardless of the 'truth' about Sharpeville. In both cases we should also assume it is probably not the ordinary polcemen who are at root accountable. There are no major problems with us ordinary south africans, but there are with the self-appointed political leaders.... . .less by gab ok on April 18 2011, 12:13 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Tatane murder Kakistrocracy in action! by James Bell on April 18 2011, 12:36 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

13 April 2011 ..... Andries Tatane Day Public Holiday should be made of it to mark ANC hypocrisy and mismanagement. by Klilling on April 18 2011, 19:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Tatane's case Zilloe knows nothing about blacks history she must never compare Andries Tatane's murder with June16 1976 by Nutral on April 19 2011, 11:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

SA Politics im highly dissapointed by the SA Government as well as Bheki Cele. Since Bheki Cele came into power, yes the crime rate has gone down, but the police have become the criminals. Any criminal with a brain in his head would be scrared of the cops now. What . .more really saddens me is that we are afraid of the police, we cant run to them for proctection but we run away from them so we can be/ feel safe. Bheki Cele ha sto dmit that telling the police to "shoot to kill" has backfired on him. Now they just shoot because they have guns. Can we not live in a country where we as citizens feel safe? Can we not live in a country where the governement will propect us? Can we not live in acountry where one is free to protest and not be thretened by the police? Yes, all of this is stated in the constitution but is ignored. people's rights are being infrindged everyday, but does the governement care. NO! all they care about are their pockets, Lord knows i dont even want to talk about corruption. I feel the DA also needs to stop using cases like these to work for them, have you forgotten about the toilet incident. I personally dont have a party that i can vote for. ALL of them are useless, they are interested in power not in the people. So Hellen, before you point fingers look at the four that are pointing back at you. PS Im not an ANC Supporter . .less by Confused on April 19 2011, 13:19 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Hout Bay was a watershed, Hell-in Shooting peoples eyes out in HangKlip was a watershed...we won't forget by Frank Speak on April 26 2011, 09:55 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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