Following Tatane's death, there has been public outrage about the manner in which he died. Tatane's death has been described as "a watershed moment in public perceptions of state violence after apartheid". An investigation into his death was launched by the
Independent Complaints Directorate's commission. The
South African Police Service has also launched their own internal investigation into the matter. The death of Tatane has placed both the issue of rising anger over a lack of service delivery as well as police brutality in the media spotlight, with comparisons being drawn to the deaths of
Hector Pieterson and
Steve Biko at the hands of police during the height of
apartheid. It has also emerged that this was not an isolated incident and that the ICD has investigated 1,769 separate incidents of people dying in police custody or as a result of police action in 2010. National Police Commissioner
Bheki Cele's statement in late August 2009 that police officers should be able to "shoot to kill" without worrying about the consequences will undoubtedly be brought to the forefront again. The
ANC's National Spokesperson,
Jackson Mthembu, condemned the brutality, but also chastised the
SABC for broadcasting the footage during the prime time news, citing the fact that it might have upset sensitive viewers, legislation which is currently held in abeyance. After visiting the Tatane family in Meqheleng, Ficksburg, on 19 April 2011,
Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Dr
Thabo Makgoba, directed attention to the lack of justice and delivery on promises which had preceded the incident and points out the irony of the protesters having been met with water cannons, "attacked with the very thing they don’t have the pleasure of in their daily lives." He called on the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs,
Sicelo Shiceka, to "visit and see the appalling conditions under which God’s people live" and the Minister of Human Settlements,
Tokyo Sexwale, to "provide houses". He added that "Minister
Nathi Mthethwa and President
Zuma should publicly apologise for this embarrassing act of aggression by police." The Archbishop has subsequently said: "Let us affirm and call for a renaming of our police services back to 'safety and security' and not a police 'force', for this force seems to maim and kill rather than offer safety and security." There was an election boycott in the area following Tatane's death. In May 2011 it was reported that the Meqheleng Concerned Citizens group was a credible structure with growing influence. A number of police officers were charged with Tatane's murder but they were found not guilty on the grounds that Tatane's murderers could not be identified as they were wearing helmets. However, a British journalist was easily able to identify his killers from video footage. ==Cultural references to Tatane==