Cape Town - There will now be a more “visible” police presence at points along Cape Town’s rail system and other problem areas following a spate of arson attacks on Metrorail carriages that have caused major delays for days, Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane promised on Thursday morning.
Phahlane and other senior police addressed media and a large police contingent at the Grand Parade on Thursday where he condemned the acts of criminality and committed the SAPS to become more visible and to ensure that proactive policing became a reality.
Phahlane said they would also focus on investigating the incidences of arson where coaches had been torched so that they could bring the perpetrators to book.
“It is our business to make sure that those who commit crime get processed through the criminal justice system, and we assure you that will happen,” said Phahlane.
On Wednesday, Nathi Khena, acting group chief executive of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), said police had been questioning a suspect in connection with the spate of attacks on trains. It’s believed the suspect was “a dismissed employee of a service provider”.
The cost of the damage to 17 Metrorail coaches, the equivalent of two train sets, caused by recent arson attacks in stations around Cape Town, amounted to R70 million, Khena added.
He said the arson attacks had “strongly coincided” with an unprotected and illegal strike by 182 provincial SA Transport and Allied Workers Union members (Satawu). The 182 workers included some who were already suspended for other misconduct.
Khena confirmed that Prasa had gone to the Labour Court just before the conference to discuss the striking workers.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed last week that cases of arson and a case of malicious damage to property had been opened for investigation.
Khena said all spheres of police had been investigating the criminal acts .
“There have been rumours that some current employees are going out and getting outside people to come in,” he added.
Despite committing Metrorail to transporting commuters with buses from stations in a bid to ease the impact of train delays, Khena admitted these measures “do little to ease the annoyance and agitation experienced”.
“Our commuters spend most of their time at work and we know that going home and spending time with family is the most important thing.
“We are aware of the impact this disruption had on the reliability and safety of our service.
“We continue to ask our loyal customers to be patient with us,” he said.
Implementing preventative measures to avoid further damage had been a primary concern.
These included increasing police presence at stations to keep acts of violence at bay.
Regarding the lengths criminals will go to to commit acts such as arson and cable theft, Khena said: “It is quite dangerous, as I know these criminals will be in an unsafe environment, dealing with live wires and crossing railways, but I have no sympathy for these culprits.
“These culprits delay our commuters and destroy our infrastructure.”
Metrorail spokeswoman Riana Scott said this morning that variable delays would continue to be experienced until all the infrastructure damaged over the past few days has been repaired to allow for a return to automated signalling.
She said this could take several more days due to the intricacy of the work.
Five apparatus cases have to be rebuilt from scratch as nothing was salvageable after the fires.
The trains and carriages lost to fire could take six to 12 months or longer to return to service, said Scott.
Last year, Prasa suffered R128m in damages in the Western Cape because of arson attacks.
Regional manager Richard Walker said the Western Cape region’s train fleet comprised 89 train sets, but this would have to increase.
Cape Argus