The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) broke their public promise made at the funeral of Pieter Barend (Piet) Botha, to secure the Netreg-station on the Central Line in the Western Cape so that it is safe for staff and commuters.
Tania Botha, the widow of Piet Botha, confirmed to the United National Transport Union (UNTU), that she has not heard anything from Mr. William Steenkamp, acting director of PRASA, who promised that her husband’s brutal killing would not be in vain.
Steenkamp promised that, within three months after Botha was shot twice in broad daylight while waiting for a train on the platform, he will invite the family back to the station to see what has been done.
PRASA vowed to “take our station back” in front of hundreds of mourners at Botha memorial service on 13 July 2016.
Brian Davids, Executive Council Member of UNTU and National Full Time Trade Union Representative, checked on the Netreg station weekly to see if there was movement on the promise made by PRASA, but to no avail.
“I prayed that PRASA will keep their promise so that no other family ever again needs to go through what we are going through at the moment. My husband was our sole provider. Since his death we have tried to pick up the pieces of our lives, but it is very difficult. We live from hour to hour. Our lives will never be the same after we lost Piet,” Botha says.
According to her PRASA stopped her medical aid within a month after her husband died. She was told that she is now responsible for the medical contribution of R5 000 per month for herself, her son, Brandon (19), and her daughter, Nadia (16).
PRASA has not yet paid out his pension money and she has not yet received any pay out from Workmen’s Compensation after Botha was killed on duty.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says UNTU asked PRASA at the time to urgently assess the safety of all its stations across the country and do a proper evaluation of the increased security needed to prevent similar incidents. This did not happen.
“The leadership of UNTU met with the special advisor of Transport Minister Diquo Peters to ask her to urgently intervene. PRASA was so arrogant that they even ignored the Ministers questions,” says Harris.
UNTU is now in the process of preparing a court application to ask the courts to force PRASA, with a court order, to fulfil its Constitutional obligation to all employees – to provide a safe working environment for all.
For enquiries please phone Mr. Harris on 082 566 5516.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail sonja@untu.co.za or phone 082 463 6806.
