The United National Transport Union (UNTU) is devastated and furious with Government after another #UNTU member were murdered on duty by thugs.
The protection official of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) that was shot dead was ironically one of the 3 100 new Prasa “armed response” who was appointed after Transport Minister Fikile
Mbalula announced his intelligence-driven new security plan seven months ago.
“Another innocent life is lost while President Cyril Ramaphosa ignores UNTU’s repeated plea to deploy soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to patrol and safeguard our rail infrastructure. It is a war zone, and we are fighting a losing battle. How many more Prasa employees must pay the ultimate price?” asks Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
Although called “armed response” the Prasa Protection Official and six of his colleagues were unarmed when they were deployed to patrol Prasa’s Geldenhuys Staging Yard in Germiston.
According to Harris he was shot while patrolling the yard at about 01:00 this morning.
UNTU members told Harris that shots are fired at them when on duty at the yard, almost daily and at any time of the day or night.
The yard is surrounded by open fields and is left without any lights at night. “It is extremely dangerous to work at the yard as there is scrap metal lying about which the thugs want. Anyone deployed to patrol the yard without a firearm is a sitting duck,” says Harris.
In September last year Mbalula said that Prasa’s new security plan will operate in conjunction with other law enforcement ministries and will also include the Hawks, the priority crime unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Prosecuting Authority, the various Metro Police Departments, and the Railway Safety Regulator.
In March, the Minister launched the People’s Responsibility to Protect Project (PR2P) project of more than R100 million which saw the additional appointment 9 860 community volunteers and 80 veterans of Umkhonto we Sizwe deployed in 46 rail corridors nationwide.
“Despite all of the efforts of the Minister and the Department of Transport and the cost thereof to the South African taxpayer, the plan is not working when Prasa employees continues to die on duty. It is time for the President to show true leadership by taking control of this unsustainable situation and deploy the SANDF,” says Harris.
UNTU and its affiliated federation, the Federation of Trade Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), first made this call to President Ramaphosa in March 2019 at its Section 77 application before the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
It was also one of the demands of UNTU and Fedusa handed to representatives of the President during the Union and its federations nationwide marches on 26 July 2019.
Untu Greetings.
Sonja Carstens Media Liaison & Communication
o. b. o SA Harris
GENERAL SECRETARY
