MPs hear of railways decline over past 30 years
Altogether 3,636km of railway track had fallen into disuse from April 1994 to end-November 2023, says public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan.
In a written reply to a DA parliamentary question, the minister said that Transnet Freight Rail, which has been plagued by inefficiency and lack of rolling stock with negative consequences for the economy, has lost 4,633km of copper cable through theft from the 2019/20 financial year to end-October.
DA public service and administration spokesperson Leon Schreiber said that the length of the railway track that had fallen into disuse would stretch from Cape Town to Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Even this figure is likely [to be] an undercount, as it does not include the additional kilometres of passenger railway lines similarly destroyed,” he said.
Copper cable stolen from Transnet would stretch across the width of the US, Schreiber said. “This figure is also a vast undercount, as it does not include the copper cable lost by other government entities.”
In response to another DA question, transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said that of the 22,197km of national roads managed by the SA National Road Agency (Sanral), 449km, 688km and 1,308km were resurfaced in 2021, 2022 and so far in 2023, respectively. This means that only about 2% of national roadways are maintained each year, said Schreiber.
Replying to a question by IFP MP Khethamabala Sithole, Gordhan said measures are being taken to enhance the effectiveness of the freight rail system to optimise the movement of export coal, among other things.
One of the reasons for the poor performance of Transnet Freight Rail had been its inability to secure spare parts from the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) which meant that many of its locomotives cannot be used.
“Transnet looks to improve rolling stock availability through the procurement of 30 compressors for locomotives awaiting spare parts. Delivery is on track with four having been delivered via airfreight on 30 November 2023, a further eight to be delivered in March 2024 and the final 18 deliveries planned for April 2024.
“Industry via the Richards Bay Coal Terminal is assisting in the sourcing of batteries for China RRC locomotives and compressors. A mutual co-operation agreement has been concluded that will allow for the procurement of 50 additional compressors and 100 full sets of batteries (1,800 batteries).”
COPPER CABLE STOLEN FROM TRANSNET WOULD STRETCH ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE US