Fikile Mbalula stuck on train as Prasa restores Cape Town central line

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula was stuck in a train during a ride to monitor the reopening of Cape Town’s central line.

The line has been closed since 2019 because of theft and vandalism.

Mbalula, Western Cape MEC for mobility Daylin Mitchell, Cape Town mayoral member for human settlements Malusi Booi, Prasa and Metrorail employees and a media contingent took a train from the Cape Town train station to Langa at 9am on Tuesday.

The team then took another train to Bellville but the trip was beset by glitches.

The first train, between Langa and Cape Town, was delayed. The one from Langa to Bellville got stuck along the way, with technicians blaming a power failure.

“I am hard on the Prasa management because I think they can do better,” said Mbalula. I want to thank them also for doing this job but they are not where I want them to be. I know that among them there are people who are sleeping on the job but there are [also] very exciting individuals who have passion and knowledge.

“We are not short of skills. We are here now to witness the resumption of limited service. We have seen a lot of challenges. We stopped at some point for the longest period because of electricity problems. There are other challenges that we’ve got of criminality. I have raised my concerns ... and advised what they (Prasa) need to do.”

Mbalula said there was some “engineering work” that still needed to be done. “But what is important is that trains run on time. You could see the excitement when we passed a school, young children seeing a train after two years. A train that could be transporting people to factories” said Mbalula.

MEC Mitchell said he was excited about the resumption of the commuter rail network, but was disappointed by the delays.

“I was very excited to get on to this train because it was a big day for the citizens and residents of Cape Town. We have been working tirelessly between myself and the minister, with the city, to make sure that today happened,” said Mitchell.

“When the delay happened I was like: ‘Is this what the province's citizens will experience? With Covid over the past two-and-a-half years, and the increase in fuel prices, citizens are the ones who suffer the most. Once upon a time, the railway service was the backbone of this province and this country. We are now in a situation where there are fewer than 200,000 commuters who can use this valuable service.”

Mitchell said he was disappointed by the glitches.

“I was reminded that it could be a person trying to get to work who would have been stranded for a couple of hours and would have told their employer: ‘I was on time but the service that government should provide failed me’,” he said.

“It could have been a student who could not get to university to write the most important exam of their lives. Or it could have been a child who could not get to school. But I am hopeful that the glitches will be sorted out.”

The team went to a piece of land in Philippi where people who had set up homes on railway tracks will be relocated. Booi said there were about 1,300 people living on tracks in Langa.

“We have purchased land, through the HDA (Housing Development Agency), for R15.7m including transfer fees, which is part of the first phase,” said Booi.

“We will be relocating people in Langa, under the Eskom servitude, and also in Bhekela in Philippi. For the other phases which include Khayelitsha, we will be taking them to Macassar where HDA is negotiating with private owners. That should be done in the next few weeks.”

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