Mkhululi Nelani, a protection official of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and a member of the United National Transport Union (UNTU), is fighting for his life after being shot in the chest by armed robbers in the early hours of this morning.
Nelani and a colleague were on duty patrolling the railway line between the Bonteheuwel Station and the Netreg Station in Cape Town, Western Cape, when approximately six armed men approached them. Three shots were fired at their vehicle. Nelani was shot in the chest.
The attackers got away and it is unclear if they robbed the protection officers of anything.
His colleague called for backup and he was taken to the nearest hospital, where Doctors are currently busy deciding if they should take the risk and try to remove the bullet from his chest. He is in a critical condition.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says all his colleagues are very traumatised by the events. “We are all praying for him right now.”
UNTU is in contact with the area commander for protection services and investigations are underway. The Union hopes to have an update this afternoon with more information about the incident and Nelani’s condition.
UNTU brought an urgent court application against Prasa in March this year in the Western Cape High Court to ask the Court to force the passenger rail operator to provide safe working conditions for its employees, on the notorious Central Line where armed robberies are a daily occurrence for train crews and commuters.
Prasa responded saying that the state-owned enterprise can do no more and that it is the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to combat crime on railway lines.
UNTU then cited the SAPS as a party to the Court application, but the Police opposed. According to the SAPS they have no obligation towards protecting employees of Prasa, as the company is obliged to do so, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
“UNTU disagrees with the SAPS. In terms of the Constitutional mandate given to the SAPS, it has an obligation to protect all of those who live in South Africa, their property and the infrastructure of the State. All the assets of Prasa belong to the South African tax payer, who is ultimately footing the bill for the SAPS as well.
“But while Prasa and the SAPS have wasted months debating who is not doing their job; our innocent members who only try to earn a living by serving train commuters to the best of their ability, and poor commuters who has no other alternative but to make use of trains, the cheapest from of public transport in South Africa, are losing their lives on the railway lines.
“UNTU now calls on all South Africans, irrespective of whether or not you are forced to use trains as public transport, to stand together and call on our spineless Government to act now and force its Police and Prasa to protect our members and commuters,” says Harris.
For more information phone Harris on 082 566 5516.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Statements phone 082 463 6806 or e-mail sonja@untu.co.za.
