By Libuseng Nyaka
FICKSBURG – The gaffe by the MEC of Police Traffic and Police accusing the media of portraying protestors as peaceful when they are armed has courted a stinging reaction from slain service delivery protestor Andries Tatane’s relative.
Lefu Tatane elder brother to the late Andries described a recent statement by Police MEC Butane Khompela as callous and untrue.
“We are not only hurt by what the MEC said but we are also disappointed as we were not expecting such harsh words from him. When did he become a judge? This case is still in the courts and commenting about is unfair to us,” he said.
Speaking at Grootvlei Prison last week Khompela accused the media of selective reporting, adding it always portrayed protestors as peaceful and victims even when they were not.
Kompela said Tatane was violent contrary to what the media had been reporting. But predictably, the commentattracted a sharp rebuke from Tatane’s family.
“We are not silent because we have nothing to say neither are we are satisfied about the circumstances but we know that we must respect courts of laws and also we want this debate to end. It has been difficult enough for us to watch the incident that led to the death of our brother on video footages from both the police and SABC.
“But we will never forget the callous message given by the MEC. We will never forget and it is unbearable. We were not expecting this from him. At least we thought he would be conscious to the fact that Tatane had family and some of the things would hurt them,” Lefu said.
Lefu wondered when the MEC had become a judge as the case was still in court and judgement was still pending.
“Where was he to have seen things that eyewitnesses had failed to see? So where does this issue of provocation and violence come from?
While agreeing with the Tatanes that MEC had used a wrong platform to comment on the late Tatane‘s behaviour during the protest, a law expert Thabisho Mize said there is nothing wrong in commenting on a case before court as long as one does not appear to be influencing the judgement or giving other information which could jeopardise the case.
However, he said it is also insensitive not to put yourself in the shoes of a family that is still mourning while making such comments.
The president of main oppositionDikwankwetla party in ThabaMofutsanyanaMoeketsi Lebesa also expressed his shock to the MEC’s comments.
“I read Public Eye and was surprised about MEC Khompela’s comments. I was not expecting such comments from him because all the people look up to him for protection as MEC of Police Transport and Traffic. If my memory serves me well when the incident occurred in 2011 he was not an MEC for police. He was still at national level” Lebesa said.