Cape Town - The torching of commuter rail coaches in Cape Town suggests that it was a planned attack and not a random act of vandalism, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Tuesday.
“The vital questions we must now ask are about the motive for the attack and who or what organisation was behind it?” said chamber president Janine Myburgh.
A total of 19 coaches were set alight on Sunday at the Salt River depot.
The alleged arsonist was caught on site with gloves, goggles, a lighter, and three laptop computers suspected to have been stolen at the depot.
He was expected to appear in court soon.
Myburgh said arresting the culprit was not enough.
“If we are to stop the destruction the law will have to reach beyond the foot soldiers to those who gave the order or encouraged the destruction. We must find a way to hold them accountable,” said Myburgh.
She called on the crime intelligence services to pinpoint the real culprits.
“At this stage what we need is information and I appeal to anybody who might know something to contact the police, the metro police, or even the chamber if they would like to remain anonymous,” she said.
“We will pass the information on to the authorities and monitor progress.”
Myburgh criticised the mindset of South Africans who saw the destruction of property, buses, and trains as a way to deal with problems.
She said destruction made the nation poorer, especially those who depended on public transport.
“The only way to a better future is to take care of our assets and to make and build more. Unless we, as a nation, begin to understand this, we will throw away everything that has been achieved in our years of democracy,” she said.
Sapa