The Citizen reports that social media posts that a SA Airways (SAA) pilot – who was part of the crew responsible for the repatriation of 112 South Africans from Wuhan in China to South Africa on 14 March – has died of Covid-19, are untrue.  

A Facebook post claimed that Nakedi Ntshane was a “female pilot from Atteridgeville who fetched S. Africans from China” and stated that that she has died of Covid-19.  But, various sources have confirmed that Ntshane did not die of coronavirus-related causes, nor was she a pilot during the repatriation.  SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali denied the claims:  “We mourn the loss of life of our colleague, Nakedi Tebatso Ntshane, who passed on last Sunday morning after a short illness.  She was employed at SAA as a cabin crew member and was training towards becoming a commercial pilot.  We find it unfortunate and insensitive that some individuals made it their business to spread false information about the cause of Tebatso’s death.  Claims that she died from Covid-19-related complications are untrue as they are not clinically and medically supported.”  Tlali added that the SAA medical department had confirmed that the airline has had no Covid-19-related deaths.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard on page 6 of The Citizen of 27 May 2020

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