One of the four men who were thrown out of moving trains in Johannesburg on Monday has died, police said.
Superintendent Andy Pieke on Tuesday said the man, who was seriously injured after being thrown out of the train, was declared dead at Natalspruit hospital on Monday night.
Meanwhile, the three others are in a serious condition at the same hospital. They suffered severe injuries to the head, back and legs.
Three of the four men were thrown off a train between Driehoek and Geldenhuis train stations, while another man was thrown off a train at the Jeppe train station.
Pieke said the injured men told police they were robbed by security guards before being thrown off the train.
”The men could not say what was stolen from them, but they did tell us that it was security guards,” said Pieke.
About 20 people have been thrown from moving trains in Gauteng in the past few months — many of them working security guards believed to be targeted by their striking colleagues.
Seven people have died as a result.
Metrorail spokesperson Thandi Mlangeni said the company was contemplating the closure of the Germiston-Kwesine line on the East Rand, along which most of the violence on trains had occurred.
”This is a very serious situation and we can’t go on like this. The people in hospital are badly injured. This is not right and so we are looking at closing the line until the end of the security guard strike,” said Mlangeni.
”But we also have to look at the risks of closing the line — like overcrowding, the possibility of injuries. If it is closed, we will deploy the staff to other stations.”
Mlangeni added that more police were needed on the trains to assist with patrolling, as the security guards hired by Metrorail were on strike.
”While there are police officers on the trains now, it’s not enough. We need more, maybe even SANDF [South African National Defence Force] members. Our guards are on strike and therefore not on the trains.”
Mlangeni said the company had not reached any resolutions to solve the problem and would take the matter to the department of transport.
Meanwhile, the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said the incidents of people being thrown out of trains could not be linked to the union.
Satawu national coordinator Jackson Simon said: ”We are not responsible. Our members cannot be linked to those kinds of activities.
”If we return to the table for negotiations, all the forces that have been taking advantage of the strike can be avoided.”
Security guards have been on strike since April. During this time striking security guards have been accused of throwing people out of moving trains, harassing and intimidating passengers, as well as intimidating security guards still at work. — Sapa