It has been 12 years since Andries Tatane was shot by the police in broad daylight, in front of television cameras and community members.
The social activist was part of a group of community members who took to the streets to demand access to tap water from Setsoto Local Municipality in Ficksburg.
Television footage showed Tatane was unarmed and posed no threat to the police.
Twelve years later, his family is still fighting for his killer to be brought to book.
On Friday, the family visited his grave to mark 12 years since his passing.
The seven officers who were accused of his murder and assault were acquitted by the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court in 2013.
Tatane's sister, Seipati Tatane, told Scrolla.Africa that the family has not healed from her brother's brutal killing.
"What hurts the most is that the people who killed him are free and continuing with their lives as if nothing happened.
"The court failed us. We were told that the suspects were released because there was a lack of evidence to prosecute them. We don't understand this because the incident was captured by the media. What more evidence does the court need?"
She said that they are working with Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) in a petition calling for a re-investigation into the brutal death of Tatane.
"We will not rest until the court ruling is reversed and suspects are sent into incarceration," she said.
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F4SD president Mbahare Kekana said Tatane's death has exposed the painful societal tensions and difficulties South Africans are faced with daily.
"Police continue to fail dismally to handle public protests and see protesters as their enemies rather than people fighting for their rights.
"All government services should be based on the concept of service; the poorest of the poor should be guaranteed a right to life, dignity and respect. However, Tatane was denied all those rights and unfortunately died in an undignified way," he said.
Kekana added that Tatane had the courage to lead from the front in the society he served, but 12 years later, the Setsoto Municipality is still unable to deliver basic services to the people.
Pictured above: Andries Tatane's family
Image source: Supplied
