EFF activists in Mamelodi East, Tshwane inspected the R102 million stripped and vandalised Greenview railway station in Phomolong in Wednesday morning.
The railway station is a Passenger Railway Agency of South Africa (PRASA) project and the EFF appealed to PRASA to renovate the station instead of rebuilding it from scratch.
The EFF activists were accompanied by community members of Phomolong during the inspection.
The multimillion-rand train station, which was built in 2011, has been stripped bare and left falling apart in the hands of drug addicts and criminals.
The Greenview train station upgrade was part of Prasa’s overall strategic objective of positioning passenger rail as the backbone for public transport.
The structure had lost its roof, door frames and the aluminum windows had been stolen, other fittings had been vandalised, the cables had been removed and the rail tracks uprooted.
The station’s completion date was supposed to be 2015 but was extended to 2018.
The white elephant Greenview railway station project stopped in 2018 and since then there has not been any contract awarded regarding work there.
EFF Tshwane Sub region 5 region leader Bongani Ramontja, alias King, told Tshwane Talks about the fact that when they as EFF members were engaging in community meetings in Ward 40 Phomolong, members of the community expressed concern about the fact that they had to spend lots of money or walk long distances because of Greenview railway station which is not in working condition.
They said this situation forces them to catch trains at other stations.
In the past drugs addicts used to turn this place as their home and they would spend their day and night here but now Prasa has hired security on site that they been paying them for the past five years instead they should have taken the money and renovate the station.
“The state of the Greenview station is terrible and the money that was spend here does not reflect, does not show that they spend 102 million and its shows that there is a lot of corruption that took place here,” said Bongani Ramontja.
“The rail ways tracks were uprooted, lights, cables, aluminium windw, doors frames had been stolen, the 102 million projects started in 2011 but halted in October 2018.
We are very worried as EFF leaders that that people of Phomolong are spending more money in transport and walk long distances to catch trains at other railway stations while they have a station nearby and this deprives them of affordable transport,” he said.
He said PRASA must not spend other millions on rebuilding the Greenview station, but we are calling on the government to renovate it because if they built it, they would spend another millions of rand as we can see millions were flushed in the toilets.
“The pillaging of rail infrastructure continues unabated with the latest concern being raised vandals have torn down a R102m Greenview train station.
We are appealing with PRASA to renovate the train station so Phomolong residents can have access to affordable, safe transport,” said Ramontja.
“It was painful to watch a project that cost so much money go into ruin and that millions were spend so we can have our very own transport that cost less to travel,” said a community member, Portia Makhubela (35).
“I’m so disappointed that this project has turned out this way because it would have helped the community, especially pupils, because the train is less expensive,” said Makhubela.
“I just want the station to open and operate because I spend so much money on taxis everyday while there is a train station here in our area not working.
If they can open it, I will save lot of money for transport because the train is cheaper,” Albert Sikhulu (40).
Another residents of Phomolong , Tshepo Mogane, said this station is not helping them at all and it has turn into a rubble because it does not help the community with nothing, and it’s been years, and we were promised for years that the station will open but until today nothing has been done.
“This train station would have helped the community a lot with job creation and residents were looking forward for it to start their business and make a living but that will never happen,” said Mogane.
“I wished this train station could open because I am a student and before it was closed, I used to buy my monthly ticket for R160 per month and since it is not working, I travel far and spend lot of money for transport,” said students Willy Malatji.
“I’m pleading with Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to open the station so it can function and operate,” he said.
PRASA spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said the stakeholder management team is in constant contact with the incumbent Councillor updating him about the progress of the project.
The latest update meeting took place on 01 July 2024.
“A supplier has been engaged to prepare designs and documentation to invite contractors to undertake construction works.
PRASA is working with other stakeholders to address the matter. The project is at detailed design phase.
The construction of the project will commence as soon as a contractor has been appointed through an open tender,” said Makanda.
Makanda said finalisation of the land matters was interrupted by the covid pandemic.
The station lies over two properties belonging to Transnet Freight Rail and the City of Tshwane.
Funding for the completion of works will be made available by PRASA to take the works to completion.
A resolution was taken by PRASA to construct a new station at the current site of Greenview station to service the people around Phomolong Extension 6, Mamelodi.
“The existing structure is in a good shape to get equipped with the necessary materials to bring it to completion.
At the moment, security teams have been deployed to protect the station building from vandals and other illegal activities,” she said.