Pretoria: South Africa’s railway sector faces significant challenges in contributing to the country’s economic growth and addressing prevailing issues such as poverty, unemployment, and crime, as highlighted by Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) CEO Brian Monakali. Speaking at the Rail Industry Workshop in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, Monakali emphasized the need for the railway sector to improve its safety performance and overall efficiency.
According to South African Government News Agency, Monakali outlined the RSR’s regulatory mandate, which includes overseeing railway operations to ensure public safety and developing a framework for safe practices. This involves issuing safety permits, conducting inspections, investigating accidents, and intervening in unsafe situations. The workshop, themed ‘Safety in Motion: Raising the Standards’, addressed the current inadequacies in rail safety, which Monakali noted as a factor contributing to the country’s challenges.
Monakali highlighted the railway sector’s role in affecting South Africa’s global competitiveness. He pointed out sustainability issues such as climate change, business costs, and safety risks, urging the need to lower business costs and improve the country’s competitiveness. Monakali stressed the importance of providing efficient transportation options and meeting the aspirations to move 250 million tonnes of freight rail and 600 million passengers by 2030.
The CEO mentioned that the government and businesses have initiated key measures to enhance safety and efficiency, including requests for investments and the allocation of additional operators. Monakali posed critical questions about achieving these goals safely, emphasizing that safety directly impacts efficiency, as derailments and collisions hinder system effectiveness.
He referred to the Railway Safety Bill signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in December 2024, which replaced the 2002 Act. The new Railway Safety Act 2024 aims to improve safety regulations through permits, a national monitoring system, and stronger enforcement measures, including provisions for worker representation on the RSR board.