No leads in fire blitz on trains
MAYOR Dan Plato said he would write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request the Hawks be tasked with establishing a special unit to investigate the burning of trains.
Two train sets were set alight at Cape Town station early yesterday, destroying 18 coaches and causing damage estimated at R61 million.
Mayor Dan Plato said he would write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request the Hawks be tasked with establishing a special unit to investigate the burning of trains.
“Over the past three years, more than 140 train carriages, which make up over 40 train sets, have been burnt in several incidents, yet not a single person has been prosecuted.”
One person deemed to be mentally unfit was arrested some months ago,
the police services have failed the people of this city.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said he had written to Western Cape Police Ombudsman Johan Brand to request an urgent investigation into the police’s inability to resolve the attacks.
Yesterday, the temporary suspension of train services in the city was lifted after the attacks on trains at platform 10 and platform 16. The fire spread to adjacent platforms, destroying two train sets comprising 18 carriages.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula met Metrorail management, then briefed the public. He said that over the past five years, 213 coaches, at a cost of R643m, were lost because of arson. “We are outraged at this deliberate act of criminality, clearly calculated to paralyse the Metrorail service in Cape Town.”
Mbalula said that over time Metrorail had been a target of criminal acts which had a devastating effect on the service.
“These acts have far reaching implications for the economy and the commuters. In recent weeks, we have seen stations and other rail infrastructure vandalised and destroyed and assets stolen. Cable theft has become a daily phenomenon that cripples our signalling system and results in long delays.
“We will use every resource at our disposal to find these criminals and ensure they face the full might of the law. It is time our social partners stepped up to the plate and worked with the government and law-enforcement authorities to ensure public assets are protected,” Mbalula said.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said firefighters battled to contain the blaze, and most platforms were still covered in debris and water. The concourse and offices were filled with smoke.
Scott said the station had to be closed initially, but some platforms were re-opened yesterday at 7am However, a large part of the main concourse remained closed.
Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the Service responded at 2.20am.
Transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela went to the station. Although he was not allowed to enter, he briefed the public and said there was clearly a syndicate sabotaging the system.
“The National Department of Transport and Prasa must stop being territorial and come to the party so we can find solutions to this problem. Since the establishment of the Prasa war room I have been requesting, without success, to have access to the war room so I can understand the work being done,” Madikizela said.