Cape Times reports on a shootout at the Bonteheuwel-Netreg station on Thursday that saw a 31-year-old Metrorail Protection Service (MPS) official rushed to Groote Schuur Hospital.
The incident happened at 3.34 in the morning while officers were on vehicle patrol in the Bontheuwel- Netreg area. They spotted four men near the tracks and, on approaching them, the men opened fire on the officers’ vehicle. Multiple shots were fired; three struck the vehicle and one hit the driver in the chest. Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker said it was unforgivable that criminals continued to hold communities ransom. Steve Harris of the United National Transport Union (UNTU) said: “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 have no other alternative but to make use of trains, the cheapest form of public transport in South Africa - are losing their lives on the railway lines.” He asked all South Africans to call on government to act to force the police and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to protect his members and innocent commuters.
- Read this report by Lonwabo Marele in full at Cape Times
- See too, Police investigate attempted murder of Prasa employee, at EWN
- Read UNTU’s press statement in this regard at UNTU online
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page