Barbie Sandler
By now the ANC should realise that if you don't stop something in its tracks! (Excuse the pun) you are on a hiding to nothing.
Railway lines that used to have trains taking commuters to and from work have been taken over by squatters, who have put up their shacks.
How was this allowed to happen? How were perfectly good railway stations allowed to be vandalised to the extent that there is not a brick left? It’s very easy to allow things to disintegrate, but as the ANC is finding out now to get the lines up and running is not an easy task.
Apparently 45% of the central line has been closed since 2019 due to extensive vandalism. Why were the railway police retrenched? So far millions have been spent in getting phases of the infrastructure up and running, but still Prasa has said it may not fully recover without a long-term solution to the relocation of the informal dwellings. What?
Can you imagine in other countries around the world where squatters would just be allowed to build their shacks wherever they wanted along main lines that take commuters into the city for work?
It wouldn't have been allowed, but in good old South Africa, we are at an impasse because we can’t move the squatters. Unbelievable!
So once again I don't hold my breath that we will see our railways back to what they used to be. How sad.
Cape Times
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