Pretoria - After earning a livelihood for almost three decades as an informal trader, selling goods mainly foodstuffs on commuter trains, Vusi Collen Mbowane, aged 52, has spent weeks in hospital after being heavily assaulted.
Mbowane is secretary general of the Tshwane Rail Traders Association, founded by Paul Mohale, and he said informal trading is the only business he has done since arriving in Tshwane around 1993.
“I sell different stuff on the train, depending on the conditions. When it’s cold, I sell socks, and when it is hot, I resort to sell foodstuffs. At the moment, I have been selling peanuts, and I was doing well,” Mbowane said, holding back tears.
“When I started trading on the trains, we were coming from those long years of apartheid, but we used to trade. We did not sit down and fold our arms, saying they do not want us to sell on the trains. We would do our trade.”
IOL visited Mbowane at his residence in Mamelodi, where he is being nursed by his sister, depends on crutches and complains of agonising pain, which has left him almost immobile.
The heavily plastered leg has been repeatedly operated on, and Mbowane said despite his difficulty with moving, he is required to visit the hospital.
“We have a long-standing memorandum of understanding with Prasa, which recognises the essential service we provide to communities. Problems started when Prasa said it is banning everyone from selling or worshipping on the trains. Our lives have become difficult. We have had a cordial relationship with Prasa, but whenever the leadership changes, they always introduce new policies, which is inconsiderate,” he said.
On the fateful day, Mbowane said he was not selling anything, but he was travelling from the Pretoria main station (Bosman), heading to Pienaarspoort in Mamelodi to meet fellow traders. That meeting, Mbowane said, was due to the directives from Metrorail for the informal traders to be organised.
“I was carrying documents which I had collected from hawkers. I was with Paul (Mohale), but we were in different coaches of the train. In that train, there were other traders, and we were going to meet our colleagues at Pienaarspoort. The confrontation by security started in the coach where Paul was. When we realised it, they were beating him heavily in the moving train,” said Mbowane.
“Moments later, the heavily armed security entered our coach and manhandled us. The train that time was arriving at Devenish station. Bullets were fired by the Prasa security. It was a security task team of around 30 guards. Some of them had double firearms on them. We were only 15.
“I tried all I could to calm the situation. Since they were taking videos of us, I also took my phone and started recording a video. At this stage, we were now outside the train. I was pushed down the raised platform into the train tracks, and I broke my leg. The pain was unimaginable. Bullets were still flying.”
Mbowane said the community policing forum heard the gunshots and came rushing to the scene. He said the Prasa guards went around picking up cartridges of the fired bullets.
The 52-year-old said he was rushed to Tshwane District Hospital before being transferred to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
“That whole night, I was in agonising pain, and I was operated for the first time in the early hours of the following day. I prayed to God so much. I then stayed in the wards for around three weeks. Further operations were done, and I thank God I am alive,” he said.
Having been in hospital since February 15, Mbowane said he was finally discharged on March 6.
“I am grateful for the help I am getting from my fellow traders. They ensure that I do not go hungry. I am required to visit hospital for rehabilitation probably for the next six weeks. I want to extend my thanks to Paul as well for the help as well he is giving me in this situation,” said Mbowane.
Mohale said he was “severely” assaulted by the guards before being taken to police cells, where he spent nights behind bars. When he appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, he says the matter was “thrown out”, and he was simply told to go home.
“I was not selling anything on the train that day. We were going to a meeting as traders. In the train, I noticed heavily armed guards. I was holding a packet of peanuts, and when the train was moving, the guards came to me and accused me of eating on their train. I was severely assaulted, and we moved into the coach were Vusi (Mbowane) and other traders were,” Mohale narrated.
“The most vicious was a man who was not in uniform but was part of the guards. That man speaks Tsonga, my language. They held my hand down, and they took a brick just crashing my hands. Myself and a young trader were arrested and taken on a run-around. We were initially taken to Sunnyside police station, then to the police station at Bosman, then to Pretoria central police station and back to Bosman.
“From the Bosman police station, we were taken back to central, and we later came back to Bosman. Before 9pm, we were taken back to Sunnyside police station by the Prasa guards. I was told our charge was assault. On the third day, I appeared before a magistrate, and the court said I must go home,” he said.
Mohale said he arrived decades ago in Tshwane, and “it was the time of the whites” during apartheid.
Through different Prasa chief executives and transport ministers, Mohale said life got better for informal traders, and he established the association, which later attained a recognition agreement at Prasa.
On Tuesday, Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said the informal traders allegedly did not have valid tickets.
“Metrorail is aware of an altercation between security officials and hawkers who allegedly were on-board trains without valid train tickets. When approached like any other commuter by the officials, they revolted to attacking security officials and instigating other hawkers to disobey the guards' orders,” Mofokeng told IOL.
“We can confirm that two of Metrorail security guards were assaulted, and as a result, two hawkers were arrested.”
Mofokeng said she was not aware of any injured traders.
“Metrorail is not aware of commuters that were assaulted by security guards. All allegations that the altercation was a result of commuters eating on-board a train are untrue,” she said.
“Metrorail has implemented conditions of carriage which stipulates that eating is not allowed on-board the trains. As a way of educating commuters on these new conditions, communication ambassadors and protection services officials remind commuters to adhere.
“Anyone found eating is requested to refrain, and thus far, there is no challenges experienced. No official is allowed to use violence on commuters,” said Mofokeng.
In December, the then transport minister Fikile Mbalula intervened in the Prasa-hawkers debacle, urging the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to review its decision to ban hawkers, preaching and singing of church songs on its new trains.
Mbalula said he did not think it was right to ban hawkers on trains, stating that people were allowed to eat on planes.
“I don't think it is right. Stop alcohol. Deal with cleanliness on the train. No smoking. We eat inside planes, and some people clean after us.
“They even drink alcohol on the plane. Trains carry commuters with chronic illnesses. We must let them eat on the train. Even in taxis and buses, we eat," Mbalula said while seated inside a moving train.
IOL