Press Statement dated 20 June 2018
Today the Cape Town High Court did justice for the family of the murdered train driver of the United National Transport Union (UNTU), Mr Piet Barend Botha, and all employees working for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Judge Mark Sher sentenced the two young Dixie Boy gang members, Jathiem Hamid and Dorian Diederick, who murdered Mr Botha on the 11th July 2016 on the platform of the Netreg-station on charges of murder, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. They were minors at the time.
The Judge ruled that 25 years of these sentences will run concurrently. This means that they will effectively serve 25 years imprisonment.
Their co-accused, Cedric Andrew, who had the firearm and ammunition in his possession, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on the counts of which 8 years will run concurrently.
Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU, says with these sentences, the court sends out a clear message to all criminals that do senseless crimes on defenceless Prasa employees will no longer be tolerated.
“This Union is so grateful that the Court heard our appeals. Too many lives have been lost, beaten, raped and assaulted on our railway lines that have become a warzone for those who have to work on it and to those who have no other alternative but to use trains, which is the cheapest form of transport in our country,” says Harris.
UNTU believes that these sentences will serve as a deterrent for other criminals in a situation where Government, especially the Rapid Rail Unit of the South African Police Service, and the Crime Intelligence Unit of the South African Police Service, has lost the battle against international organised crime syndicates that are targeting the rail infrastructure for copper theft and brutal criminals who target Prasa employees and commuters for their personal belongings.
Mr Botha’s widow, Tania, says at least now she feels that justice has been seen to.
“Nothing will bring my husband and the father of our two children back, but this sentence will prevent the murderers of doing the same to another family. Nobody deserves what we have been through since the sole provider of my family was murdered on duty,” says Tania.
Nothing came of all the promises Prasa made to her on her husband’s memorial service. She was promised that the state-owned enterprises would take the family back to the Netreg-station within three months to show them what security measures have been improved to prevent a similar incident in broad daylight.
Up to now Prasa has also not paid for the trauma counselling that Mrs Botha and her children endured after the murder of Mr Botha, as the passenger rail service promised they would pay.
Issued on behalf of United National Transport Union (UNTU) by Sonja Carstens, Media and Liaison Officer