Iyanyuka imali yokugibela isitimela ngemva kweminyaka ewu-10

WUTHOBILE ZWANE 

INKAMPANI yezitimela iPassenger Rail Agency of South Africa (iPrasa) imemezele ukunyuka kwemali yokugibela isitimela ekuqaleni kwale nyanga. Kungokokuqala eminyakeni eyishumi ukuthi imali yokugibela inyuke. 

I-Prasa ithe lesi sinqumo sithathwe ngemva kokukhuluma nomphakathi ngo-2023. Amathikithi esitimela manje asebiza kanje:

• Amathikithi ohambo olulodwa, noma isingili,  wuR2.50 kuya phezulu;

• Amathikithi okuya nokubuya, phecelezi i-return, anyuke ngo-50c, esuka kuR5.50 aya kuR6.00 kuye ngebanga.

I-Prasa ithe imali izosiza ukukhokhela ugesi, ukulungisa izitimela nokuqinisa ezokuphepha eziteshini nasezitimeleni.

FUNDA NALAPHA: https://www.umbele.co.za/2025/02/13/uhulumeni-awuthuthukise-ingqalasizinda-uma-uzimisele-ukusimamisa-umnotho-izingqapheli/

Yize imali yokugibela ikhuphukile kodwa iPrasa ithi izitimela ziseyindlela eshibhile yokuhamba eNingizimu Afrika. Ibuyise amathikithi esonto nawenyanga ukusiza abantu ukonga uma besebenzisa isitimela njalo.

Abantu abahamba phakathi kwango-9 ekuseni nango-2 ntambama basazothola isephulelo esiwu-40% kuya ku-50%. Abahola impesheni nomakadebona bezempi bazoqhubeka nokuthola isephulelo esiwu-50%.

Isikhulu esiphezulu sePrasa uNks uNwabisa Gqamane-Ntiyane sithe bayaqonda ukuthi izikhathi zinzima kubantu abaningi, ngakho basebenze kanzima ukuletha amanani angabizi.

“Siyazi ukuthi abagibeli bethu bangaphansi kwengcindezi yezimali. Yingakho senze isiqiniseko sokuthi imali yethu yokugibela ayinkulu. Imali esiyiqoqayo izosisiza ukuletha izinsiza kubantu, senze iziteshi zihlale zisesimweni esifanele nokuthi izitimela zethu zihambe kahle,” kusho yena. 

Abantu abaningi basebenzisa izitimela nsuku zonke ukuya emsebenzini, esikoleni noma ukuzisebenza. Naku okushiwo ngabanye babo ngokunyuka kwemali yokuzigibela. 

UNksz uNontobeko Mkhize, osebenza ezindlini eChatsworth, uthe bazithembile izitimela kodwa babona imali yokugibela isinyuke kakhulu.

Uthi isitimela esisuka eMlaza siye eChatsworth besinyuke ngo-R100, kwaphulwa uR20.

“Ukuba asixakekile, ngabe siyasiyeka isitimela. Isingili ibuwuR7,50, manje isiwuR10. Uma uya eThekwini usuka eMlaza iwuR12. I-Prasa ikhuphuka ngathi. Isitimela yiyona nto yokuhamba esiphephela kuyo eMlaza ngoba yisona ebesishibhile. Uma sekubiza sona, sizobalekela kuphi?” kubalisa yena. 

Ukhale ngokuthi isitimela sibuye singafiki ngesikhathi yize besuke benamathikithi. Bayaphoqeka ukuthi bayogibela amatekisi namabhasi kodwa benamathikithi esitimela esonto noma enyanga. 

UNkk uNomusa Mhlongo, owumsebenzi wasendlini KwaMashu, uthe:  “Ngisebenzisa isitimela izinsuku ezinhlanu ngesonto. Ukukhuphuka kwemali yokugibela akumnandi kodwa ithikithi lenyanga liyasiza. Ngifisa sengathi namaholo ethu ebenyuka uma kunyuka imali yokugibela.”

Umfundi wasenyuvesi eseThekwini uMnu uLuyanda Biyela uthe bekulindelekile ukunyuka kwemali yezitimela njengoba sekukhona ezintsha. “Anginayo imali, ngifunda ngosizo lweNSFAS. Isephulelo esisitholayo sihle kodwa ngezinye izikhathi angikwazi ukuhamba ngalezo zikhathi ngenxa yamakilasi ami.” 

UNksz uZanele Ndlovu,oziphilisa ngokudayisa esiteshini sesitimela iBerea, eThekwini, uthe ukunyuka kwemali yokugibela kusho ukuthi bazoba nezitimela eziphephile neziteshi ezihlanzekile, ngakho uyahambisa nako. Unxuse iPrasa ukuthi igcine izithembiso zayo. 

“Into eyinkinga nje uma lina (wukuthi) silinda isikhathi eside ngoba zisuke zingasebenzi kahle izitimela. Esiteshini basuke beloku bememezela ukuthi  siyeza. Sigcina sesithatha le mali engekho sesiya ematekisi. Kufanele uhlale ucuphe ngemali yokuthi uma singezi uzokwenzanjani,” kusho yena. 

I-Congress of South African Trade Unions (iCosatu) ijabule ukuthi imali yokugibela ayinyukanga kakhulu ngendlela ebekuhlelwe ngayo uma kuqala uJulayi. 

Okhulumela iCosatu uNksz uZanele Sabela uthe: “Siyajabula ukuthi iPrasa yasilalela futhi ayizange inyuse imali yokugibela isitimela kakhulu. Iningi labagibeli yizisebenzi ezihola kancane, abantu abagabasebenzi nabampofu futhi kakade banenkinga yezindleko ezikhuphuka njalo zokudla, ezikagesi nezokuthutha.”