Northern Cape police open inquest docket after discovery of a man’s body inside train wagon

Northern Cape police have opened an inquest docket following the discovery of a man’s body inside a train wagon at Postmasburg Transnet depot.

Police say the deceased is aged between 40 and 50 years old and was clad in blue jeans, an Ellesse top, red All-Star sneakers and colourful socks.

Provincial police spokesperson Nomvuyo Makoloi has requested anyone with information to contact their nearest police station.

“The police in Postmasburg received a complaint from the Transnet deport of a male found in one of the wagons. Upon arrival, the members found the body of an unknown male age between the ages of 40 and 50 years at the Postmasburg Transnet depot inside a wagon.”

According to the driver of the train, the train arrived in Postmasburg at 15:20 on 06 May 2022 from Newcastle and stopped at various train stations before arriving in Postmasburg. The train travelled via Spruytsrus, Meyerton and Warrenton before arriving in Postmasburg,” Makoloi explains.

Railway Policy

Meanwhile, earlier today, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula held a press briefing in Pretoria on Monday where he detailed the significance of the National Railway Policy white paper.

Among the reforms envisioned by the new policy are the introduction of high-speed rail and the operation of passenger trains by the end of the year.

Some of the country’s 30 400 kilometers of rail network have become underutilised or closed in the last 10 years.
This has negatively affected the competitiveness of rail. Mbalula says one of the passenger rail reforms his department is working on, is the introduction of high-speed rail into the service mix.

He has promised that by the end of this year all passenger trains will be moving again.

Mbalula says the National Rail Policy is critical for fast-tracking the implementation of priority structural reforms to support economic recovery.

“So we’re going to be very busy in the coming months and the private sector with the gazetting of this is already calling, ready to move fast and furious. You are going to see work in the branch lines, we are talking from Mafikeng down to Johannesburg, from Botshabelo to Thaba’Nchu. All the branch lines that were dead, concessioning and all that there’s going to be a hype of activity,” says Mbalula.

FULL SPEECH: National Rail Policy White Paper.

The Policy seeks to address the challenges faced by & position the rail sector as the backbone of South Africa’s national land transport. pic.twitter.com/5JbenUUgnU

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) May 9, 2022

In Conclusion, giving practical expression to the objectives of the White Paper on National Rail Policy requires of us to pay particular attention to skills development and growing the requisite capacity in the country. pic.twitter.com/WaE4UmqMxH

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) May 9, 2022

This Framework will aim to guide the collaboration between the major SOEs and private sector companies to deliver new economic infrastructure. The pursuit of PSP should not be construed as the privatisation of the South African Railways, as there is no such policy on the table. pic.twitter.com/u1zCQsseIR

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) May 9, 2022

The Department of Transport team that worked on the National Rail Policy White Paper.

We thank them for their stellar work on the policy. https://t.co/xdG49RupHu pic.twitter.com/pKs445BL8x

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) May 9, 2022

-Additional reporting by Liabo Setho