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The looting and destruction of the country’s rail infrastructure is so extensive that there is little hope for a full recovery, and the South African Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) admits the seriousness of the situation that has brought trains to a standstill.
Rail infrastructure has come under constant attack, stripped of copper cables, rail lines, signaling equipment and overhead power cables, and the looting was brazen and escalated during the shutdown.
“During the confinement we had a situation in which the criminals took their time to take what they wanted. In some cases, it was clear that large earthmoving equipment was being used to pull cables out of the ground. It was systemic, cheeky and these people knew what they wanted and where to find it, ”said a Prasa security manager.
The manager, who is part of a Prasa team that visited several stations recently, said the extent of the damage was appalling.
The official said that the Cape Town Central Line, the busiest line serving poor municipalities like Bonteheuwel, Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Mitchells Plain, has been stripped of everything, with overhead cables, copper ground cables and other equipment. ripped off.
“Offices at the stations were raided, expensive equipment smashed and furniture smashed. The last time the line was operational was in October of last year and the plans were to open it after closure, but the damage is so extensive that it is useless, “said the senior official.
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General views of George Goch Station, September 10, 2020, as it experiences rampant theft of cables and steel surrounding the rail network. Photo: Michel Bega
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The remains of the train tracks are seen near the old Benrose station, on September 10, 2020, in Johannesburg. Photo: Michel Bega
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General views of George Goch Station, September 10, 2020, as it experiences rampant theft of cables and steel surrounding the rail network. Photo: Michel Bega
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The remains of the train tracks are seen near the old Benrose station, on September 10, 2020, in Johannesburg. Photo: Michel Bega
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The abandoned and vandalized Centurion Metrorail station, September 10, 2020, Pretoria. Photo: Jacques Nelles
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The abandoned and vandalized Centurion Metrorail station, September 10, 2020, Pretoria. Photo: Jacques Nelles
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The abandoned and vandalized Centurion Metrorail station, September 10, 2020, Pretoria. Photo: Jacques Nelles
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General views of George Goch Station, September 10, 2020, as it experiences rampant theft of cables and steel surrounding the rail network. Photo: Michel Bega
No faith in Fikile
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is expected to make an announcement on the plan for repair, security of railway infrastructure and recovery of railway services next week, but unions are cynical that previous interventions have failed.
The United National Transport Union (Untu) insists there is no hope for Prasa as there is no political will to rescue the agency, with bold plans but no action.
“(Mbalula) constantly makes announcements about plans but there is no implementation. First, Prasa has no money and there is nothing that it can implement without money. Second, there is simply no interest in protecting rail assets, ”said Sonja Carstens, Untu’s deputy secretary general.
He said that the mandate of the National Rail Rapid Response Team established within the South African Police Service was to safeguard rail infrastructure, visible surveillance and crime prevention, but said they were nowhere to be seen.
“You only find them at the Pretoria and Johannesburg stations, sitting in the offices. Why are they not visible, doing crime prevention and protecting infrastructure according to their mandate? Carstens asked.
He said the attacks were well planned and executed, possibly with inside information because it could not be that people took days digging up cables and no one saw them.
“That’s how systematic this has been,” Carstens said.
Damage would take years to repair
Lubabalo Tinzi, passenger train coordinator for the South African Union of Transport and Allied Workers (Satawu), said that even if the destroyed infrastructure were repaired, it would take years and may never regain its former state.
He said the extent of vandalism and looting of rail infrastructure during the shutdown was unprecedented, and said his members in the security services were sending photos of the damage to the stations.
“Prasa is on her knees. There is nothing left to save and the destruction was such that now the offices are attacked, with damaged steel cabinets and files destroyed, especially during the closure ”, said Tinzi.
He said there was nothing Mbalula could say that could save Prasa, and said the looting continued with impunity despite the so-called war room that Mbalula said would rescue Prasa.
“Only four local lines are operational throughout the country. The largest and busiest lines like Pretoria and Johannesburg, which are supposed to be Prasa’s cash cows, are not operational. What has the war room accomplished? They must stop playing with our feelings, ”Tinzi said.
PRASA SAYS …
Prasa has admitted that the destruction of its rail infrastructure was extensive, but said the situation was not as bad as previously thought.
Gauteng was hit the hardest, agency spokesman Makhosini Mgitywa said on Thursday, but said that on lines where overhead power lines were missing, diesel locomotives were being deployed.
He said that diesel locomotives have allowed Prasa to open the line between Park Station and Naledi, and said this shows that the situation was not too bad.
“As bad as it is and I must admit that the situation is bad… The infrastructure has been destroyed, but in situations where we can use diesel locomotives despite the lack of aerial traction cables, but where the railway infrastructure is still solid, we use diesel locomotives and we are rolling out the service on many other lines… ”said Mgitywa.
He told SABC that they still needed to negatively assess the extent of the damage at the affected stations, but assured the public that the worst was over as they had employed 3,100 security officers.
Mgitywa said they were optimistic that hiring internal security services to take care of the infrastructure would help the agency reverse the situation, and said the agency suffered damages of more than R1 billion over three years until 2019, although they were paying companies from private security.
“The contracts were not designed to protect Prasa or to protect Prasa’s infrastructure. They were designed to benefit security companies and the people who work with them within Prasa. This situation is being corrected and we are optimistic… ”she said.
According to Mgitywa, its infrastructure was porous and vulnerable, pleading with communities to take care of the infrastructure as if it were their own because the damage to the infrastructure primarily affected poor people, low-income people, and job seekers using the train to Search for a job. He said the minister will detail a plan on the plan to secure the agency’s assets and will also outline the plan for the recovery of train services.
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