Heads must roll, says Ramaphosa, as train arrives hours late

It is understood that the locomotive was stuck in Marabastad, with questions being raised about whether the delay is connected to the widespread power outages currently gripping the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa interacts with commuters at Mabopane train station in Soshanguve on 18 March 2019. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN

Mia Lindeque | 18 March 2019 09:22

TSHWANE - President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived at the Pretoria train station as the ANC embarks on its train station blitz election campaign, and got first-hand experience of train delays. The train he was meant to leave on was two hours late.

The party is canvassing votes in the capital, which has been under DA-led administration for over two years now.

It is understood that the locomotive was stuck in Marabastad, with questions being raised about whether the delay is connected to the widespread power outages currently gripping the country.

Eskom says stage four load shedding is expected to last at least to the middle of this week, as the utility battled diesel shortages.

#ANCtrainDrive Premier David Makhura tell people the trains from Mabopane are always late. He says they got onto the train at 7:3 and it’s now three hours later.
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 18, 2019

#ANCtrainDrive Ramaphosa: We saw for ourselves the trains are late. They stop for nothing. We saw how trains never arrive on time. This was an unannounced visit.
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 18, 2019

#ANCtrainDrive Ramaphosa: It is unacceptable that a 50km trip took as 4 hours per train. This must be corrected. Heads must roll.
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) March 18, 2019

President Ramaphosa’s train arrived over an hour late at the Mabopane station, prompting calls from frustrated commuters who took the opportunity to urge the president to improve the public transport system.

"We're going to be fired. Where's the train? Nobody says anything. What's the point of going to work?"

Ramaphosa interacted with voters ahead of the May elections.

The ANC’s Gauteng deputy chair Panyaza Lesufi said that it was extremely important for the party to regain Tshwane from the DA-led government in the capital.

"We have two of our metros governed by another political party. It has brought lots and lots on imbalances. It has taken us back."

At the same time, the party has called on all potential voters to ensure that they go out in their numbers on 8 May, when the country to due to head to the polls.