Chairperson, 

The recent 20-year sentencing of an Eersterivier Taxi Rank employee for causing damage to essential rail infrastructure should send a strong message to future and current perpetrators of vandalism.

Over the past number of years, South Africa’s rail system has come under increased attacks by criminals. The lockdown only served to exacerbate the targeted destruction of railway lines and stations. In many parts of the country, including the Western Cape, this tendency has continued well into 2022. Many of our train stations are still inoperable after more than two years, owing partly to the destruction of property and theft of important cables and other equipment required for an operational rail system.

While SAPS has made numerous arrests in recent months, many cases have remained unsolved, allowing criminals to get away with their crimes.  This is why the 20-year sentencing of the man who set fire to a train during the 2020 lockdown is encouraging. The estimated damage of this wanton act of criminality runs into millions of rands.  However, the true cost comes at the expense of thousands of commuters who have been robbed of a reliable and the cheapest mode of transportation.

Sadly, a new form of violence had been unleashed against the long haul bus company InterCape.  Over 150 attacks have been perpetrated against the assets of the company.  These attackers have no regard for the destruction it caused to the families of those drivers and passengers, who have become collateral damage to their extortion racket.  It is therefore with sadness that Mr Bangikhaya  Machana who went about his work, to support and feed his family, was killed by rogue elements in the taxi industry on 25 April 2022. Today a family is in mourning and without a father and breadwinner. 

Speaker, I wish to call on the SAPS to take the necessary action to apprehend and convict the perpetrators of vandalism and the emergence of extortionist elements, as is witnessed against the InterCape bus company.

I, therefore, urge the justice system to continue to come down hard on those who seek to destroy lives and public property.

Thank you.