Tributes pour in for west pilot who assisted in repatriation effort
She formed part of the crew that repatriated South African citizens out of Wuhan, China, during the nationwide lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic.
Tributes and messages of condolences are pouring in for the 39-year-old female pilot from Atteridgeville who recently passed away from cancer-related complications.
Nakedi Tebatso Ntshane (39) formed part of the crew that repatriated South African citizens out of Wuhan, China, during the nationwide lockdown and Covid-19 pandemic.
Her family have dismissed reports that she passed away after contracting Covid-19 through a statement released by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
“The Ntshane family has learnt with utter dismay and concern about rumours on social media on the cause of death of Ms Tebatso Nakedi Ntshane (39). The family can confirm that Ms Ntshane succumbed to cancer-related complications in a Pretoria hospital on Sunday, 24 May. She is survived by her son and mother,” the statement read.
“She was part of the South African Airways (SAA) crew that willingly participated in Operation Ditaba, an operation that was led by the SANDF in co-operation with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) in May 2020, to Wuhan province, China.
READ MORE: Watch: South Africans returned from virus-hit Wuhan
“The public is reminded and requested to cease spreading fake news related to Covid-19 as this is an offence prosecutable under the South African disaster management act.”
The Ntshane family appealed to the public to allow the family to mourn their daughter and requested she been given the respect she deserved for serving her country diligently when she was called upon to do so.
A Facebook memorial page called Nakedi’s Final Farewell has been created to keep her friends and colleagues from afar in the loop about what is happening, as so many were not able to pay their respects due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.
A live recording of her funeral was posted on the page for people to attend the proceedings virtually.
Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news.
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
