Bongani Majola
Three senior white officers have been suspended by Metrorail in Krugersdorp, pending investigations into allegations of racism and abuse. The latest incidents include a white senior protection officer who allegedly spat water on the face of a black female security officer, Siziwe Njwambe, telling her “it’s summertime”.
The black officer reported the matter to her superiors at Hlanganani Protection Services a security company contracted to Metrorail and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu). She has since been transferred to another station. A fellow officer alleges that those who complain about “Metrorail white officers” are always transferred.
Queen Kanzi, Njwambe’s colleague, says she has “had enough of this racist treatment” and that this is the reason she has signed an affidavit as a witness to Njwambe’s case.
The tale of racial abuse at the Metrorail Krugersdorp station was first uncovered by the Mail & Guardian in May when 21-year-old Thabo Khumalo shot himself dead after complaining that he had “had enough of racial taunts by white Metrorail officers”. A senior source from Metrorail confirmed that the officers allegedly involved have been suspended for abuse of authority.
The source said one senior officer has been suspended on charges relating to an incident where a pregnant black officer was permanently removed from Metrorail sites for allegedly refusing to wash cars, a duty that was not part of her job description. Two other white senior officers, whose names are known to the M&G, have been suspended pending Metrorail’s internal investigations into the alleged incident of racism and others to do with the ill-treatment of security officers.
Satawu general secretary Randall Howard said he was not aware of specific incidents, but said “it is not unusual to hear such reports from the security industry. We must root out and eradicate such unscrupulous, racist and exploitative employers from the industry. But this must be a collaborative effort by progressive labour, the government and [those] employers who are prepared to accept transformation.”
The South African Human Rights Commission’s Phumla Mthala confirmed that a complaint was lodged with the commission regarding Khumalo’s suicide and “the commission is looking into it”.
Lillian Mofokeng, spokesperson for Metrorail, confirmed that three officers have been suspended, one “for an offence related to racism and the other two for ill-treatment of security guards.
“At this stage it is an internal matter and Metrorail is following the normal disciplinary procedures,” she said.