Commuters are up in arms about the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) banning prayer services on trains
Prasa's decision was a clear indication that the agency does not understand the people it serves, said Phumulani Ndlovu, general secretary of the United Commuter Voice.
“They cannot bring a foreign culture. There is a culture that people in trains are used to and it is not an abusive culture. It is a kind of culture that should be embraced as it makes us unique as South Africans. We are not in Europe. Trains in SA cannot operate as if we are in Europe,” Ndlovu said.
“People are spiritually fed on their way to work. Those services help commuters who are going through a lot of hardships. People that are preaching in trains are motivating those people.”
Last month, thousands of Soweto residents were delighted when Prasa re-opened the line between Park Station in Johannesburg and Naledi.
But they got a shock when they learnt that church services inside the train were prohibited. Prasa also does not allow smoking, eating and selling of goods inside the trains and at stations.
“We were expecting that when they gave us the trains things would go back to normal," Ndlovu said.
"But it is not the case. This is a sign that the people that are in charge at Prasa have lost touch with the reality of the commuters they are serving. They never consulted us about this. They just gave us the rules."
Senior manager, marketing and communications at Prasa, Tony Games said the design of the trains is not suitable for prayer services.
“In the past, in the old trains, the church service would be limited to one coach. But now in the [new] trains, the gangway is opened. You do not want to inconvenience other people who will listen to a church service in one coach singing all the way to six coaches,” Games said.
He said people who hold church services banged the panels of the trains and danced.
“We are trying to bring new behaviour. It is a new system, a new train. The old commuters still think they are in the same train. The train is opened for people to move freely. We don’t need any obstacles on the way,” Games said.
He said security personnel and safety ambassadors would ensure that people holding services would be made aware that they are prohibited.
Ndlovu said Prasa should have raised its concerns about services with the commuters before imposing the rules unilaterally.
Ellie Chauke, 59, who has been commuting by train for more than 35 years, was one of the first to learn about the new rules when Prasa protection services stopped her sermon when she was in the middle of it.
“I preach every day. It is about telling people about Jesus. The train is where I received the gospel. But I will obey the instruction of the security personnel. I cannot do otherwise. The Bible teaches me to be obedient to authorities” Chauke said.
Cosatu was also angered by Prasa’s move, describing it as “bureaucratic arrogance”.
Spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said: “These people have no idea what they are doing. They are imposing solutions on people without consulting them. If they placed people first, as seriously as they say Batho Pele, they would have engaged commuters before coming to impose such conditions.
“It is people who have never left their offices and yet they are in charge of a system that is used by the community.”
He said that historically train services allowed people who never get a chance to interact among themselves. This should not be taken away by the new trains, Pamla said.
Nimrod Buthelezi, who has been preaching in the trains since 1991, was also disappointed.
“Our spirit is broken. Preaching in trains united people. Our coaches were safe and no one got mugged,” Buthelezi said.
dlaminip@sowetan.co.za
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