By Palesa Matlala
- Lungile Mafu leaves home at dawn and takes multiple trains just to reach work on time.
- Despite delays and danger, the train is still the cheapest way to commute for many Soweto residents.
In this part of our Soweto transport series, Lungile Mafu wakes up at 3:30am to catch a packed train, just to keep his job.
It’s 5:20am and Lungile Mafu is already on his first train from Merafe station, in Mletsane in Soweto. The 34-year-old fitter and turner joins others in coach five for a morning church service as they head to the Johannesburg CBD.
He pays R160 a month for a train ticket and connects at Midway, in Protea South, before getting off at Johannesburg’s Park Station. “I am a labourer and don’t earn a lot of money. The train is the best option for me, and although I connect at Midway, it doesn’t come with an extra cost,” he said.
Mafu wakes up at 3:30am to prepare for work and says it’s tough, but he’s thankful to be employed. The train ride takes about 55 minutes each way, but delays due to load shedding or rain can add another two hours.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, when train services stopped due to theft and vandalism, Mafu spent R1,400 a month on taxi fares and walked an extra 35 minutes to reach work.
“I worked just to pay for transport during that time,” he said.
Now that trains are running again, he sometimes naps on the ride home. “My job is physically draining. That time on the train helps me rest,” he said.
Prasa reopened tracks in 2022 and introduced new trains with tighter security. Selling sweets or fruit is banned, and passengers caught can be fined or jailed. Security guards now patrol platforms and trains, and no one is allowed to eat or drink onboard.
Despite overcrowding and delays, the blue and white train remains the most affordable option for many workers in Soweto.
On Tuesday, 13 May, in part two of our Soweto transport series, meet a woman who’s spent more than half her life on the same Putco bus and what it cost her.
Image source: Palesa Matlala
