The increasing numbers of theft and vandalism of railway infrastructure is alarming.
On Wednesday, the transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula who spoke in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni during the launch of the ministerial security plan condemned the acts of the vandals.
He said that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) infrastructure was destroyed by syndicates.
He described these syndicates as arrogant, aggressive and some even hire children to strip cables off railway lines.
The ministerial security plan’s strategy involves the in-sourcing of over 3,000 security guards to protect Prasa’s infrastructure from vandals.
The plan was launched in collaboration with other departments in the Justice, Safety and Security cluster.
Mbalula added that he suspects that these syndicates have insiders working with Prasa’s officials who make it easy for them to commit these crimes.
“It will be incorrect to think that criminals and syndicates who are vandalising this property have been acting on their own.”
“Some of the enabling points that made it possible for them to have a holiday here and a honeymoon at Prasa is because of our decisions,” he said.
