While the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is saying it can do no more to protect its employees from criminals when they are working on the notorious Central Line, another member of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) was attacked along with commuters by three armed robbers.
Luyanda Qoyi, train driver and Chairman of UNTU’s PRASA Tafelberg Branch, was standing before the Bontheuwel Station yesterday at about 13:22 waiting for authority to pass signals that were at danger.
Three armed robbers approached the train and began robbing the commuters of their valuables. One of PRASA’s protection officials who was unarmed risked his own life to chase the robbers away.
Qoyi says it was the most uncomfortable moment of his life at work. “I am very traumatised by the incident,” he told Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
This comes after PRASA appointed 56 armed guards to escort train drivers and metro guards on the Central Line to adhere to UNTU’s pending urgent application about the safety of its members in the Western Cape High Court. PRASA says in its answering affidavit it has taken all reasonable steps to deal with the increased crime spree, but it is limited in what it can do and must rely on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to counter armed robberies on trains.
UNTU filed its application in May asking the Court to force PRASA to protect its members who work on the Central Line. The Court must direct PRASA to establish an armed mobile reaction unit whose members would be stationed at Netreg, Mitchells Plain and Chris Hani stations.
UNTU also ask the Court to order PRASA to establish a joint task team comprised of the Union, other representative unions and the SAPS to develop a long-term strategy for commuter safety in PRASA.
According to Qoyi there were no armed guards available to escort him when he had to leave with his train on route to Bellville. “Today I am not driving a train without an armed guard present. My life is worth more than continuing to expose myself to these criminals,” he told Harris.
Qoyi said he did not even bother to report the latest incident. “It is a waste of time reporting it as we already know nothing will be done about it,” he says.
This comes after another three #UNTU members were attacked by five armed men on Monday night at about 21:15. According to them the five suspects got onto the train at Mbekweni Station in Paarl on the Northern Line.
Harris says when the train had to stop at the bridge just before Wellington Station one of the suspects tried to stab one of the UNTU members with a knife. He managed to push his attacker away and locked the door of the train driver cabin while the other UNTU members managed to phone the SAPS directly. The five suspects then jumped off the train and ran back in the direction of the Mbekweni Station.
According to Harris UNTU members are complaining about increased criminal activities on the surrounding railway routes after PRASA implemented armed guards on the Central Line. “It is a Catch22 situation. Irrespective of the outcome of the pending Court case, drastic measures are urgently needed to combat this crime spree,” says Harris.
UNTU decided to join the SAPS in its application on Monday. The joint application will be served on the SAPS shortly. A date for the hearing of the application has not yet been determined.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press
Statements phone 082 463 6806 or e-mail sonja@untu.co.za.
