A war of words has erupted between government officials after two trains were gutted in an arson attack at Cape Town station early Thursday morning.
Thousands of rail commuters were left stranded after 18 train coaches were destroyed and Metrorail was forced to suspend
services for several hours.
Metrorail says the damage amounts to about R61
million.
According to spokesman, Jermaine Carelse, Fire and Rescue Services responded to the fires at 2.20am and battled for hours to bring the flames under control.
Train fire at Cape Town station. Picture supplied
A train was set alight on platform 10, and another on platform 16 and the fire soon spread to adjacent platforms.
Metrorail spokesperson, Riana Scott, said Cape Town Station had to be closed initially, but some platforms were re-opened around 7am.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula flew down to meet with the Metrorail management in Cape Town, and in a briefing to the public, said over the last five years, 213 coaches were lost due to arson at a cost of R643m.
WRECK: Burnt-out train at Cape Town station
“We are outraged at this deliberate act of criminality that is clearly calculated to paralyse the Metrorail service in Cape Town,” he said.
“These acts have far-reaching implications for the economy and the commuters who rely on our trains to get to work every day.”
He said vandalism and cable theft have become “a daily phenomenon” that cripples the signalling system, resulting in delays.
“It is time our social partners stepped to the plate and work with government and Law Enforcement authorities in ensuring that public assets are protected” However, Transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, who also went to the station to assess the damage but was not allowed to enter, slammed national government for failing to work with local authorities.
He said there is clearly a syndicate that is sabotaging the system.
“The National Department of Transport and Prasa must stop being territorial and come to the party so that 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 that I can understand the work that is being done.”
Prasa’s war room, launched by Mbalula in August and supported by a technical task team, was established to monitor Metrorail’s operations daily and ensure the implementation of turnaround strategies.
In October, Mbalula admitted the war room was not meeting its objectives.
WRECK: Minister Fikile Mbalula briefing the media. Video Armand Hough
Meanwhile, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said he would be writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting that the Hawks be roped in to establish a special unit to investigate the burning of trains in the city.
One person deemed to be mentally unfit was arrested earlier this year, but other than that, SAPS have failed the people of this city, the mayor said.