SHOSHOLOZA MEYL COACHES DESTROYED BY FIRE
Posted on 02 August 2009 by Railways Africa Editor
On 28 July, the class 6E1 locomotive hauling a northbound Shosholoza Meyl Zastron-Johannesburg train, with about 150 people on board, broke down at Welgelee in the Free State. Passengers enraged at the lengthy delay threatened the loco crew, tried to set the unit alight and broke all its windows. A following petrol-tankcar- train propelled the Zastron set to Virginia, the next manned station. Passengers then threatened to burn the petrol train and the driver set back hurriedly. Five coaches of the passenger train were then set on fire, burning them out totally and melting the overhead traction wires. No injuries were reported but damage was estimated at R9 million. Buses were arranged to carry passengers further. Single track working was instituted but further delays were caused by catenary theft at Bosrand.
Acting Shosholoza Meyl chief executive Viwe Mlenzana was quoted by the S A Press Association saying: “Shosholoza Meyl does not condone acts of violence and the public should be aware that burning of trains is a crime and the perpetrators will face the might of the law.”
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I have never read or heard of a single prosecution for this sort of behaviour. they should in fact be charged not merely with malicious injury to property, but rather with Sabotage under the old Sabotage Act – which remains on the books… The crime falls fully within its wide definition of sabotage.
If the train is late, you burn it. If the loco breaks down, you burn it. The logic used by these savages escapes me. Are they sane? Were criminal charges brought against the perpetrators? We shall never build this country and improve service delivery unless idiots stop destroying the infrastructure.
Management also needs to realise that it has to start communicating with its passengers — they still don’t bother. Perhaps when all the trains have been destroyed, there’ll be less work for them to have to do?