Mpumalanga Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is mourning the “untimely death” of a female employee, the parastatal announced on Thursday.
This comes after staff were held hostage at the parastatal’s premises in Ogies in the province last week, although TFR has not at this stage indicated that there is any link between the incident and the death of the staff member.
“Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of a female staffer at our Ermelo operations on Wednesday, 8 March 2023. We hold her family in our prayers and thoughts. The management team is still on-site meeting with the family and next of kin,” TFR said in a statement on Thursday.
TFR has not released the name of the employee.
TFR earlier condemned “criminal acts perpetrated against our employees who were held hostage” last week.
“Lives were put at risk when members of the Ogies Phola Taxi Associassion (OPTA) hijacked the vehicles transporting staff from various areas. The incident happened shortly after 6am when staff were on their way to collect colleagues in four Transnet branded vehicles. Staff and drivers (five people in total) were driven to a nearby taxi rank against their will and held for several hours,” TFR said.
TFR said the incident was sparked by an OPTA outcry after it wanted to provide transport services for TFR staff. Transport services are currently outsourced to a third-party service provider.
“TFR security personnel with law enforcement officials negotiated the release of employees but members of OPTA held on to the vehicles unlawfully. Employees were not physically harmed but are receiving trauma counselling,” TFR said.
TFR said police investigations into the matter were ongoing. No arrests have been made. The contract for the leasing of vehicles by TFR was concluded in 2020 and a winning bidder was appointed, through an open tender process.
“The vehicles are specifically utilised to ferry employees in the Operations and Infrastructure departments of TFR who work outside normal working hours when no public transport is available.”
