The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) was forced to close Park Station in Johannesburg yesterday after security staff allegedly damaged property because of the termination of their contracts.
The situation has since been brought under control and train services resumed in the afternoon despite platforms 10, 11 and 12 being damaged.
Prasa spokesperson Nana Zenani said that a few shops at the station had been looted despite security guards being stationed there.
“I suspect that if we did close the railway station, it would have been the worst situation. Security gates with glass were broken as well as a ticket office stoned on one of our trains, which was removed from the line for safety,” said Zenani.
The United National Transport Union warned that Prasa had canceled the contracts with no back-up plan and had put staff and infrastructure at risk in a matter that has been taken to court.
The High Court in Pretoria ruled that workers should return to work and that Prasa should pay the security companies until the end of December.
