The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is facing many problems. Trains were stopped from moving before the lockdown started. Since they stopped, cables were stolen and this made it hard for trains to move from other areas to Daveyton (a township on the East Rand of Johannesburg). Sometimes only a single train would operate the whole day. This made it very hard for people who depended on trains to get to work and schools. Those who could not afford taxis were forced to skip work at times. This did not only affect train users. Street vendors who sold at train stations and inside trains in order to survive and provide for their families were also affected.
Things escalated when the lockdown started, and there was zero movement in the areas where many businesses ran. The Daveyton station was subsequently shutdown completely. Since then there have been many acts of massive vandalism and break-ins. Train cables, computers and other equipment were stolen. Equipment is still being taken from the offices, but neither the police nor PRASA are doing anything about it. This is happening from Daveyton to Van Ryn Station (in Benoni, also on the East Rand of Johannesburg).
Some of the nyaope smokers have even set up camp in the Daveyton Station. Something should be done to deal with this because not only will it affect workers when the lockdown ends but also, hard-earned taxpayers’ money is being wasted and public services meant for the community is being vandalised.
This article was submitted on 12 August 2020. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
