Communities warned, officials deferred and another life was lost to bureaucratic neglect.
Life is cheap in South Africa. And that of the young woman who died yesterday in Kempton Park after being hit by a train probably cheaper than most, given her age, gender and race (she was black).
But, like so many other violent deaths in this country, hers was tragic because it could have been avoided if someone had done their job.
Last year, in almost exactly the same spot, a teenager was run down by a commuter train operated by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
In the wake of that tragedy, the community, led by Ekurhuleni councillor Simon Lapping, tried to get the authorities to take notice and fence the area to close the short-cut being used by pedestrians across the rail tracks.
Lapping even went as far as writing to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy about the situation.
At the time, when The Citizen reported on the death, transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi said Creecy was concerned and that the issue has been passed on to the Rail Safety Regulator and Prasa.
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Nothing happened. Surprise, surprise. We do realise Creecy probably has her head space full with trying to ignore the problematic entities under her watch, but this was about the danger of someone being killed.
Surely, as a minister, comrade, you should have let the buck stop with you and not passed it along to minions – minions who apparently don’t care?
Ultimately, as minister, you have the power to get institutions that report to you to do your bidding. Unless, of course, you are nothing but a token?
If that sounds like we are being harsh, let’s not forget that a young woman has been robbed – violently – of her life.
Minister, she will never see the “better life for all” your party promises.
Her life was cheap – but your talk is cheaper.
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