The ANC will not support any move to relegate the functions of the dysfunctional Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) train system to metros as part of rail devolution and a strategy to efficiently manage commuter rail.
After years of mismanagement and corruption under the watch of its top brass, Prasa, a state entity under the department of transport, headed by minister Fikile Mbalula, has been reduced from a once effective commuter rail service to a shadow of its former self.
Many train stations across the country have been turned into neglected zones and a haven for criminals. The working class and the poor carry the brunt of unreliable train services, with hundreds losing their jobs as they are often not on time.
Commuter activist groups known as the #Unite Behind have been pushing vigorously for Mbalula to begin the process of handing over control of passenger rail to provincial governments or metros. The organisation has made it known that they will hound the department and Prasa to court if need be.
“Poor and working-class people suffer every day from a dysfunctional train system. Metrorail is in a crisis and corrupt networks have stolen billions from Prasa. The desperation of getting on the train has led to people running across the tracks, hanging out of the doors and windows. Tragically, the practice has led to death.
“People are also constantly being robbed,” said the organisation, adding that women and pupils often felt unsafe because of the trains’ unprecedented
delays and having to walk home in the dark.
But head of ANC economic transformation, Mmamoloko Kubayi said the proposal would not find any joy because metros were unstable and would not run an efficient train system.
“It will be a heavy blow and nightmare because for metros it is a trade-off every time. You can’t do that with strategic infrastructure and an important economic activity. Rail is one of the backbones of movement of goods and people. We can’t give it to metros. On policy we would not agree, and we have not made these proposals, and this will not change,” explained Kubayi.
Kubayi, who is also the human settlements minister, pointed out that the way the metros had handled themselves when dealing with human settlement issues was evidence enough that they were not ready to be given the responsibility of the train services
“I will not advise any department to dissolve power or function to metros. There is high underspending in metros and no cooperation. For example, you have people who are sitting on the Prasa line in Cape Town and you tell the city that let’s work together but they do not cooperate,” Kubayi told Sunday World.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) called for the service to remain within the national government but its efficiency needs improvement.
“One can sympathise and understand the frustration from the workers about the dire state of our transport system, especially the trains. But as Cosatu, we have always believed in an integrated transport system that is affordable and reliable,” said Sizwe Pamla yesterday.
He said what also made the plan highly impossible was the poor state of governance within metros. “The city of Johannesburg has been unstable since 2016. The city of Cape Town, on the other hand, has a problem of skewed service delivery patterns, where it only delivers better services to affluent communities. eThekwini also bungled the bus service and issued it out for tender. We also fear the inflated pricing of trains once they fall under metros, which will severely affect workers,” he said.
In May last year, the transport department released its national rail policy White Paper, which among other things, seeks to devolve public transport functions to lower spheres of government. The city of Cape Town is one of the leading metros who wants to take over the functions of trains.
The Western Cape metro was hard at work drafting the rail feasibility study and wanted Prasa to furnish it with technical information for the metro to complete the study. The study will gauge the financial implications associated with running the commuter rail system.
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