The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted an urgent request to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature to schedule an oversight inspection of Hutchinson Station with Transnet and the provincial department of Roads and Public Works, to pave a way forward for its many abandoned buildings.
The former railway junction situated 12 kilometers outside Victoria West, and its many outbuildings, resemble an apocalyptic town with bricks, doors, windows, roofs and other fittings removed.
It is criminal that valuable infrastructure, worth millions of rands, was completely chucked away by Transnet and the ANC government, without even a thought of maintenance, security or its potential for the betterment of the local community.
Left to the mercy of vandals and thieves, criminal syndicates have been allowed to strip away infrastructure to sell, as Transnet and law enforcement turned a blind eye for over two decades. This not only eroded the image of the once vibrant railway village but has also worn away any hope of economic opportunity for the small, grant-dependent community of Hutchinson that resides in abject poverty.
The critical neglect of Hutchinson station and all its related infrastructure, exemplifies the grave injustice committed against society by the ANC government, who turned the once prosperous rail network in the Northern Cape into a liability.
We cannot turn back the clock, but we can take a stand to say “no more”.
The DA is amplifying our call for the opening up of Transnet to private sector participation, to improve performance and reverse decades of ANC economic mismanagement.
While we lobby for big, structural changes necessary to revive the rail network, we have also written to the legislature’s portfolio committee chairperson of Roads and Public Works, Mirriam Kibi, as well as MEC Fufe Makatong and Transnet’s Property Facilities Management office in the province, to jointly conduct a full assessment of Hutchinson station’s buildings and infrastructure.
Government must act now and prioritise the maintenance and security of all existing rail-related infrastructure, to salvage what it can, dispose of what it can’t, and halt further costly damages to infrastructure. The economic future of Hutchinson and the Northern Cape depends on it.