Officials bicker over train arson investigation

Probe marred by infighting – MEC

Western Cape transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela criticised the national government yesterday for being “territorial” with the investigation into arson attacks which destroyed 18 train carriages at Cape

Town station yesterday.

Speaking shortly after a patchwork commuter rail service was restored and with 10 platforms out of commission‚ Madikizela said: “The biggest problem here is that some of us are territorial. We want to flex our muscles and say this is our baby. This is a problem for all of us. We need to work together, respect each other’s roles and responsibilities so that we can solve this.”

By October last year‚ Cape Town’s Metrorail train stock was reduced by 50% after 46 train sets had been burnt since the fires started in 2015.

A Sunday Times investigation earlier this year reported that the fires were an inside job‚ the result of labour disputes and a fight between the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) and two unions representing security staff.

Yesterday’s fires are the biggest arson attack on a single station. In April 12 carriages were torched‚ resulting in losses of R33m and the suspension of Metrorail regional security chief Ernest Hendricks and two other officials.

Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said two full train sets were destroyed by the fire.

“The full extent and cost estimate of the damage will only be known once Prasa’s loss adjusters have [assessed] the damage,” she said.

Madikizela commented on the fact that the attack had happened shortly before the rollout of Prasa’s new trains.

“It is very clear that there is a syndicate here and people know that there are new trains coming and immediately something like this happens.”

Cape Town mayor Dan Plato also criticised the fact that no one had been held accountable for the “economic sabotage” of train fires.

“Over the past three years more than 140 train carriages‚ which make up over 40 train sets‚ have been burnt yet not a single person has been prosecuted. Our rail service is a shadow of its former self,” he said.

“Prasa‚ Metrorail and Saps need to get their house in order. We cannot continue to allow their failures to impact the residents of this city.”