The gruesome death of a train commuter and the resultant delays that caused frustrated passengers to torch coaches, has highlighted the province’s hazardous railway network, according to regular users.
Lindokhuhle Mazeka, a 37-year-old father-of-two, was mowed down by a train at the Denver station in Joburg on Tuesday. This happened when he used the railway crossing instead of the pedestrian tunnel, which is filled with sewerage, human excrement and water.
Local councillors Lindani Zulu and Shawn Dlanjwa said the “death tunnel” was reported to the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), as commuters were “forced” to cross the railway lines.
Mazeka was killed on his way back from work after buying a ticket at Denver, to travel to George Koch station.
Prasa facilities spokesperson Noluvuyo Halana said the flooding was a new occurrence after the weekend rains. Halana added that flooding was caused by dysfunctional pumps, exacerbated by theft and vandalism.
When The Star was at Denver station, a heavily overcrowded train passed with angry passengers.
Roughly 15 minutes after the train with fuming passengers passed, The Star received information that trains were being set alight at Germiston station in Ekurhuleni.
Angry commuters had torched a motor coach and tried to set two more trains alight. Fire fighters were prevented from extinguishing the blaze by people, who wanted the trains to burn as they were angry at being late for work.
William Ntladi, spokesperson for Ekurhuleni EMS, said workers were prevented from fighting the fire.