South Africa: Rioting in Cape Town during evening commute June 12

Event

Riots by commuters angry over train delays were reported at Cape Town Railway Station on the evening of Monday, June 12. Although authorities have said that no casualties were reported, two trains were set on fire and surrounding shops were looted. Police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene to control the situation, with police firing rubber bullets to disperse the mob. Firefighters were reportedly able to contain the flames before the fire spread further to the station or other stores. The train station and nearby streets were cordoned off in the wake of the incident. It is currently unclear to what extent services will be affected on Tuesday as a result of Monday's incident, with commuter rail service provider Metrorail expected to issue a service advisory at 04:30 (local time) with further details.

Context

The unrest broke out in response to lengthy service delays, which Metrorail authorities attributed to an overloaded electrical network. Power was reportedly restored at 20:52 on Monday.

Advice

Those present in Cape Town are advised to avoid the vicinity of the Cape Town Railway Station until the situation has been fully resolved and to monitor developments to the situation. Commuters should anticipate residual travel delays at least through Tuesday, June 12.