If a group of traditional leaders and pastors have their way, the Shosholoza Meyl train will run all the way from Pretoria to Thohoyandou. They believe this will reduce congestion on the roads and create additional job opportunities.
The idea of extending the railway network to Thulamela was put forward during a meeting held on Tuesday, 17 September, at the Makhado Municipality. The meeting was organised by the local Pastors Community Forum and attended by senior traditional leaders, representatives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), and representatives of the Makhado and Thulamela municipalities.
"We have noted several accident hotspots on the N1. By proposing a new railway line passing through Granite, Mailaskop, Elim, Levubu, Vuwani, and Malamulele, with the final stop at Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou, we believe this will reduce traffic congestion and lower accident fatalities, especially during festive seasons," said Vhamusanda Ntsundeni Sampson Sinthumule, the traditional leader of Madombidzha.
Sinthumule also expressed concern over the lack of development in the Makhado and Thulamela municipalities. He believes that the establishment of a new railway line would offer multiple benefits to the local communities.
"The new railway line would create employment opportunities in both the formal and informal sectors. Local residents could be employed as security personnel at train stations, and informal traders would have designated areas to sell their goods. Taxi operators would also benefit by transporting commuters from train stations to their destinations," Sinthumule added.
Sinthumule acknowledged that for such an ambitious project to get off the ground would take time. He said the next step would involve conducting a survey of the proposed train route.