Quinton Mtyala
SOUTH Africa’s spooks say they are monitoring attacks on Metrorail’s infrastructure in the Western Cape, but that this has not yet been elevated to the status of an attack on the government.
There have been arson attacks on several trains in the Cape Town area and signalling equipment was damaged, in what Metrorail called acts of deliberate sabotage.
Senior Western Cape police communications head Novela Potelwa said as investigations unfold a determination would be made as to whether this is vandalism or terrorism.
This comes as trains in Cape Town were delayed for a fourth day in a row. Commuters were stranded yesterday as trains were delayed for up to two hours – many were forced to use buses and taxis.
Mother-of-three Nomvuyo Mapundu had to walk from Paarden Eiland to her workplace in Woodstock after their train from Khayelitsha could not move for more than 30 minutes. She was three hours late for work.
“It is very difficult for us people who use trains because we buy monthly tickets, and by the time this happens, you don’t have any money.”
While trains were running late, Cosatu in the Western Cape called on authorities to impose harsh sentences on arsonists “who had burnt down” trains.
“Cosatu believes that destruction of the trains and the rail infrastructure must be seen as sabotage as it has a devastating effect on the economy. The workers also lose huge amounts of money due the delays in trains as a result of the damage to property,” said Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich.
Yesterday, Metrorail sent out an alert that trains to and from Chris Hani station (Khayelitsha) would be rerouted via the Salt River-Mutual line. Commuters are advised to use connecting trains, starting with the numbers 900, to connect between Cape Town and Mutual.
There is an ongoing labour dispute between Metrorail and some SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) members over several issues in the Passenger Rail Service of SA’s (Prasa) regional structure.
Some workers want Prasa’s regional manager, Richard Walker, to be fired, saying the parastatal has suffered under his watch since he took over in 2014, as workers doing the same work as their counterparts in other regions did not receive commensurate pay, and that he had targeted those who were closely associated with his predecessor, Muthuthuzeli Swartz.
State Security Agency spokesperson Brian Dube aid: “The acts of arson, particularly on the Western Cape rail infrastructure, are of a major concern to the security agencies, to the extent that they cause domestic instability within the transport sector. No determination has been made thus far as to whether it amounts to an attack on the state.
“There’s an investigation that we’re busy with. As the investigation unfolds, it will determine what we’re investigating – terrorism or vandalism.”
Speaking to the Cape Times last night while taking a taxi home, Satawu shop steward Luntu Sokutu said Walker had left workers with no other option but to call for his head.
“Because of his poor management, we’ve been having a lot of problems,” said Sokutu.
In an incident of “worker victimisation”, Sokutu claimed that another Satawu shop steward had been hauled before a disciplinary committee three times for a single offence, with the case against him being dropped every time.
Sokutu also alleged that Metrorail faced financial issues, “They’re R104 million under- budget, and it’s his (Walker’s) fault.”
Metrorail Western Cape spokesperson Riana Scott dismissed Sokutu’s claims
“Every regional manager has people for and against him, but there are appropriate ways they (workers) can resolve this. It’s very telling that Satawu’s national leadership struck an agreement at the bargaining council with Metrorail and they (Satawu’s provincial structure) did not,” said Scott.
Additional reporting by Siyavuya Mzansi