Two W Cape trains set alight
2011-12-09 22:44
Cape Town - Provincial police spokesperson November Filander said on Friday that two trains had been set alight in Pinelands and Langa in Cape Town.
The Pinelands train's engine had been set alight, while the seats of the Langa train were damaged.
Two trains, which had recently been set alight in Lansdowne and Harare, near Khayelitsha, also resulted in major damage.
The four acts of vandalism incurred damage of more than R10m.
"Since the strike [by security workers] started on November 29, we have opened 27 criminal cases," Filander said.
Police on Thursday afternoon arrested 14 striking security workers aboard a train at Kapteinsklip station, near Mitchells Plain, for intimidation and kidnapping.
Filander said the strikers allegedly intimidated four working security staff and forcefully removed them from the train.
According to Passenger Rail Agency of SA chief executive Lucky Montana, some employees managed to lock the strikers inside the train until police arrived.
"These arrests are but the first of many, as we intensify our grip around criminal activities within the Western Cape passenger rail services," he said.
"It is unacceptable that our staff and our commuters must travel in fear on our trains."
Montana said there had recently been a 30% increase in train vandalism in the Western Cape.
The 14 strikers were expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate's Court on Monday.
- SAPA
