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The failure of Transnet to remove a freight train wreckage made up of thirteen freight cars, six months after it derailed, is evidence of just how neglected the rail system in the Northern Cape is.

An oversight inspection by myself and DA Magareng councillor, Willem Potgieter, showed the damaged carts strewn alongside the rail line, which is once again operational. 

At the time of the accident, the carts were carrying grain and the failure to contain the site, resulted in the grain being plundered. Since the crash six months ago, the carriages have been stripped leaving only the skeletons of the rolling stock.

I will submit a formal request to Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, to instruct Transnet to come and remove the remains of the derailed train from the veld. I will also submit a question to determine the actual cause of the derailment, the extent of the repair work that was done and the reasons for the delayed clearing of the wreckage.

Our operational rail network is in a shambles. If this is how long it takes for the country’s freight train operator to attend to the recovery of its own stock, then this paints a worrisome picture for the restoration of an optimally functioning rail service in the province and the country.

Issued by Dirk Stubbe, MP - Constituency Head of Diamond North