Transnet laments spike in cable theft during recent strike

The unions downed tools for some two weeks before agreeing to return to work, although Satawu is yet to sign the 6% wage agreement.

The corridor between Johannesburg and Durban lost 12 kilometres of cable during the industrial action.

Transnet's Freight Rail CEO Sizakele Mzimela says their priority was to ensure that trains can move safely and unblocked trains carrying, fruit, vessels and crane with hazardous materials.

"As indicated, we had the 257 staged trains and as of this morning, 234 of those have been cleared. Unfortunately, we still have 23 trains remains staged as a result of the cable that was stolen. In particular in the container corridor."

Mzimela was addressing the media on the recovery efforts post the industrial action on Tuesday.

She says most of their operations on the rail corridors are back to normal.

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Their priority was to get trains - transporting fruit and hazardous cargo - moving again.

"We have experienced an abnormally high level of theft this period. And they have been continuously repeating, so we are able to move trains up to a particular level and it's a stop-go type of operation at this stage.

“And once we clear the cables, we find that further on there will be another incident or theft of cable which has seriously hampered the movement of trains on the container corridor."