The Decline of the South African Rail System by ANC and Black Governing After Apartheid

Executive Summary

• South Africa’s rail system went into steep decline after the takeover by the ANC.
• This is leading to a collapse of SA rail.

Introduction

The ANC made many promises about how it would improve South Africa. Since the ANC has taken over, the infrastructure in SA has been in free fall, with the black management appearing to be unable to do anything by live off of what was created during the apartheid era. One area of infrastructure is the SA rail system.

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Lack of Law Enforcement and Public Safety In Part Due to Decline of South African Rail

Under apartied, the South African police could protect the rail system. However, after several decades under ANC rule, personal safety could not be provided, which led to a steep decline in passengers and passenger revenue.

This video explains that the South African police and private security firms were unable to stop the looting of the rail system. 

More on this looting of the SA rail system is explained in the following quotation.

Railway tracks have been stolen all over the country, and there is virtually nothing left of the six miles between Brakpan and Springs, on this line. Rails and ties have disappeared. Overhead power lines have been stolen, supporting poles are bent or broken, security fencing has been carted off in trucks and wheelbarrows. The Springs railway police, responsible for this corridor, doesn’t have a single patrol vehicle. Throughout South Africa, our once world-class railway system is being plundered piece by piece.Most of our secondary roads have become like the rest of Africa: potholes, no shoulder, grass growing into the center of the road. There are small forests, with trees as tall as a man growing out of sidewalks and right up to roadsides. Everyone sees the decay, but the ANC doesn’t seem to care. Someone said they see nothing ugly, and they see nothing beautiful. Years ago, I heard a former Transkei official tell a visiting American that “we don’t care if the roads turn to dust, as long as we get rid of the whites.” Their roads turned to dust. – American Renaissance

An image is taken from the top of the pedestrian bridge at the Old Benrose train station, Johannesburg, showing the remains of what were once several railway lines. (Photo: Shiraaz Mohamed) (From the Daily Maverick)

An overhead cable hangs close to the tracks at the Jeppe train station. Thieves cut the overhead cable to be sold as scrap. (Photo: Shiraaz Mohamed) (From the Daily Maverick)

Underground cables were not spared, with the vast digging up and hacking at train stations. Coaches have also been targeted by criminals, and have been stuck at some stations such as Midway for some time.

Distribution boxes at many stations have been torn and disembowelled of their tiny copper cables. In some instances, the boxes are torched.

The mining of the country’s rail infrastructure has been going on for years.  But during lockdown, with no security personnel around, perpetrators escalated their efforts. The extent of the looting of the country’s rail network has been highlighted in various media outlets over recent months.

On any given day, people can be found scratching for whatever little has been left behind at George Goch station. Extensive damage was also caused to the walls of some buildings at the station.

Perpetrators are not all individual pilferers. Some operate within organised networks. This is how they have managed to steal even the rails, missing along a stretch of the station.

Metrorail Gauteng spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng responded to queries from Daily Maverick, agreeing that it was “unfortunate” that the looting of the rail network would directly affect people who depended on rail for travel.

“The Metrorail market comes from mainly disadvantaged communities and with the high level of unemployment the lack of service will unfortunately strain further the same communities,” said Mofokeng.

“The vast open nature of the Gauteng Metrorail network means there are 218 stations and halts (10 super core, 29 core, 49 intermediate, 48 small and 82 halts) and 1,380km of rail track, 157km of rail network, making it difficult for Prasa to effectively secure both the stations and the rail network. – Daily Maverick

Think about that for a moment. The rail system in SA has to have security, or it will simply be looted. That imposes extra overhead on the rail systems. And this need for security for the rail system is overwhelming, as explained in the following quotation.

In addition, Prasa was set to appoint 5,000 security guards through private security companies during November to help protect the infrastructure. – My Broadband

This quote explains how much SA rail power infrastructure has been removed.

Williams claims that around two-thirds of above-ground electrical cables on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa’s) network of 3,000km has been stolen or broken. With such a substantial portion damaged or malfunctioning, much of the rest of the system also becomes useless, Williams said.

The situation could lead to the complete collapse of South Africa’s rail network, once considered among the best in the world.

To prevent this, transport minister Fikile Mbalula recently announced several measures to protect Prasa’s infrastructure.

One of these is the construction of “impenetrable” and “vandal-proof” concrete walls along identified rail corridors and around substations. – American Renaissance

Fake Degrees

People who were faking their degrees were managing the SA rail system after being given jobs through nepotism.

This is explained in the following quotation.

There has also been widespread corruption and mismanagement at rail transport agencies like Prasa.

One of the best examples of this was the case of Daniel Mtimkulu, who served as Prasa’s chief engineer for five years.

In 2015, Prasa discovered that Mtimkulu had faked his doctorate following a report in Beeld that the paper could not verify his claims that he had a degree from a German university.

Mtimkulu had been responsible for designing the Afro 4,000 diesel locomotives that turned out to be too tall for South Africa’s railway infrastructure. – American Renaissance

This is a very black or Indian thing to fake one’s degrees. Incorrectly sized locomotives occur when the rail system employs unqualified personnel.

Faking all Post High School Education

Black South Africans often fake their degrees. This video demonstrates just yet another example. In this case, a black South African faked three degrees, including a PhD. 

Here is a quote from a comment on this video.

Comment #1: Good Engineers and MDs Don’t Do Well in SA?

As an engineer I have given up on Africa, one of the things keeping Africa from progressing is the fact that we like speakers and not doers. We prefer poster boys and girls that would echo the politicians agenda in good english, but not really solving problems like a real engineer is supposed to.

GOOD Engineers and medical doctors generally dont do well in African politics because their brains are wired to acknowledge problems and solve them, the guys in charge just want damage control and masking problems only addressing them and calling real problem solvers when their jobs are on the line, and there is public uproar.

Unless Africa changes this, it will always be backwards.

And this one — after he was exposed.

Comment #2: PRASA Covered for Him After Exposure?

And the head of PRASA supported him, and said criticism was racist.

And this one.

Comment #3: Endemic in SA?

Thats endemic in SA. My company appointed a black lady with just too many degrees as IT support manager. After a client visit i refused to take her again to a client. She was a total embarrassment. So i was charged with racism in front of HR. My boss sent out a list of her qualifications saying he wont tolerate any further comments on her abilities. i was obviously not the first to complain. I then phoned her previous employer where she was supposed to be a tech manager. She in fact answered phones at a call centre, not even a technical one. I phoned the university where se had ‘qualified’ – there was no record of her. I looked at her degrees and she was about 5 years too young to have all those qualifications. Total silence at the HR hearing. The next day she ‘resigned’ . If i had pulled that stunt i would have been charged with fraud. 2-tier SA law.

Comment #4: Replacing Skilled Whites With Incompetent and Unqualified Blacks?

In 1994 the ANC government inherited the largest railway network and strongest economy in Africa. At the time it was a world leader in many aspects of railway engineering, particularly heavy haul technology. The railway transportation network underpinned a strong and healthy economy.

It didn’t take long for the government to replace all of the skilled, experienced managers and engineers with people of the “right demographic” in all of the State Owned Enterprises.

The age of kleptocracy and ineptocracy had begun, leading to South Africa becoming Africa’s largest kakistocracy. Today, the rail network is but a shadow of its past, and the nation’s economy is down the toilet.

When ideology is more important than pragmatism, you reap what you sow.

Comment #5: Wakanda Empowered Engineer?

he is not a Fake Engineeer… rather he is an authentic Black Empowered Wakanda Engineer modern SAR Regime deserves so much

Comment #6: SA Universities Now Sell Degrees?

Degrees and doctorates sold by SA Universities, making everyone who worked hard for theirs worth nothing.

Comment #7: A Problem Through All SA Infrastructure Entities?

This is the problem all over South Africa that is why this country is falling apart, Escom, Prasa, SABC, SAA, SANDF, …..name it they are ALL in shatters.

Comment #8: How Was This Not Noticed by His Subordinates?

Who are those his subordinates? How can you work 3 months with novice without knowing that he knows next to nothing! It is not possible for such thing to go unnoticed, when you discuss engineering models with him, there’s no way he can hide that

Even Coal Moves to Truck

The heavier the item, the more it makes sense to move it by rail. However, even coal now is in part migrating to trucks in SA.

The most notable example of physical derailment occurred in late 2018, when 51 wagons loaded with coal went off the tracks while on route to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal. The line, which services South Africa’s main export port, remained closed for most of May. Transnet’s Freight Rail general manager, Caesar Mtetwa, blamed the derailment on “sabotage” in an interview with Engineering News. – Business Insider

Some of the looting involved power lines, which is a common occurrence in South Africa, as I discuss in the article “How South Africa’s Decline Mirrors the Decline of Eskom.”

South Africa’s Total Track

Even after being looted by blacks and degraded by ANC management, SA still has more than three times the total track of all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Rails systems were invented by Europeans. However, blacks have a hard time managing or maintaining rail systems. Of the Sub-Saharan African countries with rail systems, the average number of kilometers of rail.

The Kilometers of Rail Track in Sub Saharan Africa

The total number of kilometers of rail in Sub-Saharan Africa, if SA is removed, is around 700 kilometers. That comes out to roughly 15.5 kilometers per country (697/45). That is amazing, as the technology to create rail systems is not a secret.

How the ANC Laughed When the Technical Skilled Whites Left South Africa

This quote is from a YouTube video regarding the technically skilled individuals leaving the UK due to mass non white immigration.

EXACTLY the same thing happened in South Africa when the skilled citizens started leaving.

The government sneered at them and accused them of being traitors and turn coats.

The government almost rejoiced in their departure because “who needs them anyway?”.

Well, fast forward 25 years and everything has collapsed. Everything. Imagine a society where the most basic services no longer operate. Electricity, refuse removal, the post office, water supply.

Everything is broken because the skill and the money left.

I waited quite a long time before leaving. My advice to those in the UK hoping things will change is this – GO NOW! It only gets worse and very, very quickly. Good luck

Conclusion

Under the ANC, SA’s rail system has done nothing but degrade, and as the ANC has only been living off what the white management of the rail system produces, the SA rail system is about to collapse. When this happens, the extensive track of the rail system in South Africa, which is 3x the total of all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, will be useless, and it will be even more extensively looted as bankrupt SA rail systems won’t be able to have security to protect the rail system.