2005-11-11,+R200m+Train+Torching+and+movement+comments

The Star, Johannesburg, 10 November

= Stranded passengers torch trains in Soweto =

By Poloko Tau, Shaun Smillie and Solly Maphumulo

Angry commuters, frustrated by lengthy train delays, have torched 28 coaches at three Soweto stations, causing millions of rands' damage.

The rampage began at Midway station at about 7.20pm on Wednesday night when commuters set fire to 13 coaches. An hour later, passengers at Nancefield torched a further 12. Then at Kliptown station, at 9.15pm, three more were set alight.

No one was injured, but late last night Metrorail was in the process of assessing the extent of the damage.

Commuter Eric Dyantyi was at Nancefield when he saw the carriage next to the engine go up in flames.

"We must have been held up at the station for about an hour-and-a-half. Everyone was on the platform when we suddenly saw the flames," he said.

Patrick Mafu, who was on the train that was torched at Nancefield, said commuters had approached the driver, who had locked himself in the train.

"The driver said he didn't know anything about the delays, and that's when they began pelting the train with stones," said Mafu. The crowd dispersed when police arrived.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Malcolm Midgley said firefighters had to be called in from as far as the West Rand.

Many commuters complained they were tired of the endless delays they had to face on their way home.

"It has been happening for the past seven months on the Johannesburg-Vereeniging line. People are getting home after 10pm," said Dyantyi.

By 11pm, many of those at Nancefield were still not sure how they would get home.

Commuter Willey Sitasa said the train had been delayed at New Canada station for an hour, and nobody had told them what the problem was.

Another commuter, Sipho Sithole, who was trying to make his way to Sebokeng, said he was angry because he was stranded.

"Where am I going to sleep? Metrorail is unreliable, I want nothing to do with them. We want another company, because they fail to deliver.

"The trains are always late, and nobody bothers to explain to us what is happening. People have lost their jobs because their bosses are angry because they are late every day. We are sick and tired and this must come to an end."

Metrorail spokesperson Salanani Sithole said the initial delay was because of a problem with the signalling system at Midway station, and this had disrupted other trains.

Taxis moved into the stations and were inflating their fares, charging people between R15 to R20 to take them to Lenz. The fare is usually R5.

Metrorail organised some buses at midnight.

From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=129&fArticleId=2988577

Mail & Guardian, Johannesburg, 10 November

= Train torchings cost Metrorail R200m =

Reesha Chibba and Sapa

The latest wave of train torchings has cost Metrorail an estimated R200-million, leaving the company with no more trains to run between Gauteng's Midway and Vereeniging stations, spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said on Thursday.

"It has cost us in the region of R200-million," Mlangeni said as crews cleared up the gutted remains of at least 28 coaches torched between Soweto and Vereeniging on Wednesday night.

Commuters upset over train delays set 28 coaches alight on Wednesday evening at the Midway and Nancefield stations.

On Tuesday, four carriages were burnt out at Residentia station in Vereeniging by people also frustrated by delays, this time caused by cable theft.

This means that the company does not have any trains to run between Midway and Vereeniging.

"We are shocked, and condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We understand that to be angry is anybody's right, but it is irresponsible to burn trains and to burn public assets," Mlangeni told the South African Press Association.

She told the //Mail & Guardian Online//: "There is no amount of anger that justifies the torching of the trains. Passengers only waited for 20 minutes. One doesn't really know what their motive is."

Mlangeni said many people become frustrated every day in traffic and with taxis, but no one jumps out of their car to torch them.

"That doesn't happen," she said.

Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin on Thursday condemned the attacks.

"The minister has described these incidents as totally unacceptable and warned that such behaviour will not be tolerated," public enterprises spokesperson Gaynor Kast said.

Collen Msibi, the national spokesperson for the Department of Transport, told the //M&G Online// that his department also condemns the attacks.

Msibi added that the department understands that commuters are frustrated in terms of delays, but that "the law must take its course".

"Even the Cabinet has said it's going to act quite harshly towards people who are involved in these kinds of things," he said.

Technical fault
Mlangeni explained that there was a technical fault in Midway, which affected signals, and trains could not move, causing a 20-minute delay.

"We could not move those trains, otherwise we would put the commuters' lives in danger. Passengers started getting off the train and burning it."

This had a knock-on effect, causing delays in Kliptown and Nancefield.

"And passengers torched those trains," Mlangeni continued.

There is no public address system inside the trains to inform commuters of developments. But, said Mlangeni, "even then we don't think that [action] is justified".

Security was present at stations around Gauteng on Thursday and, said Mlangeni, the South African Police Service and the metro police have been very supportive.

Soweto police spokesperson Captain Mbazima Shiburi said police there are on standby.

"Nothing is happening now, but we are on standby. We are a stone's throw away from the area," he said.

Transnet, the company that owns Metrorail, joined the growing condemnation of the torching of R200-million-worth of trains.

"We are seriously disturbed by it and condemn it," spokesperson John Dludlu said. "We regret the effect of the delay on commuters and are quite aware that some people are losing their jobs. We fail to see how this [burning a train] can help.

"We think it is totally unacceptable and would like to urge the public to cooperate ... by condemning these acts as well and to cooperate with the law-enforcement agencies to find these people."

Company executives were meeting on Thursday to address the situation and were working with police and other law-enforcement agencies.

"We will take steps necessary to make sure the offenders are brought to book and, to improve security."

Appeal for support
Metrorail Wits regional manager Salani Sithole appealed for the support of community leaders and business partners "while the public rail system is under threat" and said employers should take note of the effects on their workers.

Sithole said Metrorail will work round the clock to repair overhead cables, signals and communication lines.

"During this time of repairs, Metrorail calls upon its loyal commuters to cooperate with us and use alternative means of public transport," he said.

The company will assist by operating a shuttle service between Suurbekom and Oberholzer, from where a normal train service will be operational via Randfontein.

After Midway station, the line splits to head for either Vereeniging or Westonaria.

Commuters who witnessed the acts have been urged to come forward and assist police with their investigations.

From: http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=256166&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/

COSATU (Gauteng) statement: 10/11/05

= Train torching =

The Gauteng Province of the Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the burning of trains in Soweto yesterday. This is criminal activity, and the police must do their job and bring the culprits to justice.

COSATU is however concerned at the perception that this kind of activity is being perpetrated by workers. The vast majority of workers who commute by train are totally opposed to this kind of action, which will only make their problems of getting to work on time even worse.

Workers are nevertheless extremely angry at the inefficiency of the Metrorail transport system, which is reaching crisis proportions. Frequently late or cancelled trains have led to many workers being given warnings or even being dismissed for arriving late for work, even though the reasons are entirely beyond their control.

COSATU is requesting a meeting with Metrorail to discuss the crisis in the commuter train services.

For further information, please phone Siphiwe Mcgina, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, on 011 873 2610 or 082 465 8336.

SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) on train torchings 10/11/05

= Importance: High =

SATAWU condemns in the strongest terms the wanton abuse of our transport infrastructure by rowdy and riotous commuters as seen in the recent spate of burning of trains in and around Johannesburg.

SATAWU feels that this does not advance the course of a good, reliable and efficient transport service as demanded by the public. In stead it disrupts the system even further and sinks the service into a quagmire.

However, while we condemn the torching of trains as an extreme way of demonstrating anger and frustration, we do also sympathise with them. Our trains are getting more and more unreliable. For most of our citizens, the train is the only realistic means of going to and from work. Now, if this service is hampered by delays, inefficiency and incompetence, how do we hope to contain the anger of the worker who has strict timelines to satisfy and feels that the train is threatening his job security?

Two years ago, commuters had expressed concern at the poor information dissemination procedure. If the train is going to be late, passengers should be notified on time so they can alert their employers.

SATAWU has repeatedly made the call to this industry to invest on its infrastructure in order to improve its safety record, reliability and competence. We have said in several fora, that this industry is a disaster waiting to happen. Unless the rail industry is properly financed, SATAWU’s view is that such incidents will continue to happen.

Ronnie Mamba National Media Officer SATAWU 082 646 5353 011 333 6127

From Moloatoa Molaba, NEHAWU 10/11/05

Please pass this to Siphiwe. Though we must discourage torching of trains, but the fundamental truth is this is done by our members, who feels helpless angry. The late trains is a perennial problem. It has been there for years. Even before the so calleddd theft of the cable started about two years ago. So people who burned the train are not some reckless criminals, but are workers trying to go to work. These workers spent between 10 -20% of their wages on public transport.

Cosatu must fight against Metro rails inefficiency and stop calling workers criminals. Workers will never burn trains just to derive pleasure. They have no collective or individual benefits frm burning trains. But burning is a reflection of desperation, helplessness and lack or any concrete leardershipp from the union on this perennial problem.

In fact am surprised it took so long before workers do this. I suspect this will have a domino effect, we might see the same in Tswane, Sedibeng and Ekhuruleni.

I suggest comrades we must not be too caught up in the so called rule of law, following procedures, using correct channels and all that. We live in a capitalist society, therefore the rule of law entrenches private property, capitalist accumulation, representative democracy, voting for parliament accountable to capital and society based on class divisions.

Comrade Sphiwe be rest assured that the late trains if were primarily used by the bourgeoisie and the middle class, this problem would have long being resolved. So please comrades let us not forget we live in a class society and the ruling class is not workers

By the way, Comrade Sphiwe we are about to spent R20-24 Billion rands on a Gautrain which is estimated to transport 120 000 people per day. R20 000 on an elite, middle class bourgeoisie project!!!!!!!!!!!! Its estimated that a trip from JBG to Pretoria will be R70 !!!! will working class in general or our members afford it?????This is crazy.!!! On the other hand there is absolutely nothing on the table on a worked out plan to rehabilitate Railway which is primarily a working class mode of transport. Am still disgusted by the power the ideas and interests of the bourgeoisie have on society including activists. No matter what defenders of Gautrains, including those in our ranks, can say Gautrains is not going to resolve working class transport needs infact is not even conceptualised for that purpose. It is meant to manage Pretoria to JHB congestion and World Cup. ( do not forget that capital have taken over World Cup, this another topic ) am challenging you. Lets engage.

Finally workers are not criminals because they burnt a public property, maybe it’s a wrong tactic but that does not make them criminals. A working class response to porverty and inconvenience induced by the Dominance of Capital and it’s a ideas can never be criminal.

Moloantoa Molaba 082 455 3070)

Original Message

From: Hope Papo Subject: RE: Train torching

I fully support COSATU Gauteng Province. Patronising workers by thinking that everything they do is revolutionary, is the worst form of dishonesty any person who call themselves revolutionary can do. The existence of this democratic government and its institutions is not an accident of history. We fought and died for the existence of this government in order to transform our country.

Seeing that there was a stalemate between the forces of liberation and the apartheid forces in the 80’s, we took a conscious decision to:

1. negotiate with the apartheid regime firstly about talks about talks to set the stage for substantive talks.

2. to set a Transitional Executive Council (TEC) to begin shaping structures of the new government

3. elect a Constituent Assembly guided by an Interim Constitution with a mandate to draft a final constitution.

4. elect a final Parliament, Provincial Legislatures and Municipalities to represent the people of South Africa

We then embarked on the process of constructing and transforming various institutions to support our new democracy. We did all this fully aware that our economy is capitalist which was triumphalist following the fall of the socialist project in the USSR and Eastern Europe. We knew that a long and disciplined struggle still had to waged to ensure that the economy begins to serve majority of South Africans. We were also conscious that we will not manage to eradicate the legacy of over 510 years of colonialism and apartheid (from 1488 when the Portuguese colonialists first arrived on our shores) in just over 10 years. Thinking otherwise is simple dishonesty to the people of South Africa. Do we think if people disrespect institutions of authority and the law now, they will do so under a socialist system?

To now say that burning of trains which are financed by the people of South Africa and mainly used by the working class, is part of a class struggle is quite ridiculous, laughable and an abuse and vulgarisation of working class theory. It has become quite fashionable to justify all manner of reactionary actions (which at times border on counter revolution) under a false banner of “class struggle”. How does burning of trains or community property help the working class struggle? These trains are not private property but belong to the people of South Africa? Taxis in our country are currently under private and usually lawless hands and as the left movement we are not saying much about that fact. Is it because the lawless are black and male that we are so quite?

We need to have a real and well informed debate about some of the funny things which are nowadays being punted as part of the working class struggles. Do we think that a country like Cuba will allow anyone or group, under the guise of so called anger and frustration to break or destroy community or public property? Knowing Cuba and how it operates, they will definitely isolate or arrest and even kill those elements.

I just find it quite alarming that comrades can justify these kind of criminal actions. These actions are criminal (even if they are done by an angry or frustrated group of our members or supporters) and their perpetrators should be arrested and charged. Even under a socialist system there is rule of law and institutions which should be respected. Even under the socialist system people who destroy community property will be arrested and charged. We are revolutionaries, not anarchists who behave as if there is no leadership and institutions of governance and authority. Even during the struggle against apartheid, we always opposed anarchic and anti-people actions which were usually hiding behind our genuine and disciplined struggle.

Supporting the Gautrain does not mean you do not at the same time want provision of accessible and affordable public transport for the majority of Gauteng residents. We cannot behave as if the middle strata does not exist and influential. It is also wrong to think that the only people who are currently clogging the Ben Schoeman road are the elite. There are many people who belong to the middle strata, public servants and people who work for NGO’s and in offices of private companies around Joburg and Tshwane who clogg the Ben Schoeman Freeway.

Currently an integrated Gauteng road and transport plan (which includes recapitalising the rail system) will soon be launched and implemented to ensure that public transport becomes a mode of choice for the majority. This tendency of reacting negatively when we hear that projects are to be financed with big amounts is not really helpful to the debate on development. To say that we should instead use the money to expand our highways plays into the hands of the pro car lobby. Should we stop the building of townhouses, cluster houses and bond houses because they are owned and rented by some of us. Our people, particularly the middle strata (where many of us currently belong by work or income) should be made to understand (and not frown upon) the importance of using public transport like trains. Knowing how some of them think and daily behave they will support an initiative like the Gautrain. Our middle strata and some sections of the working class still falsely think that owning a car (particularly with a brand name) is a sign of success and status. Even if we may want to deny this fact, it remains the truth.

I therefore do not agree or support some of the views which are being raised by some members of the National assembly Portfolio Committee on Transport led by Comrade Jeremy Cronin and those being raised by Comrade Molantoa. Is it wrong to say that the middle strata should pay more for a service like Gautrain in order to recoup part of the money used for it? I firmly believe that the upper and middle class should subsidise the poor. I think it is important to have all the detailed facts about the Gautrain before we make pronouncements like the one made by Comrade Molantoa.

The debate continues but let it be a debate on real issues.