Stimela (Coal Train) begins with the incessant sound of repeated banging against a tin container. Discomforting, the sound recalls the indifference of a train as it chugs along with persistence and urgency. Hugh Masekela's distinct coarse voice interrupts; "There is a train," he says, "that comes from Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, from Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and the whole hinterland of South Africa. This train carries young and old African men to work in the mines of Johannesburg. Deep, deep, deep down in the belly of the earth, they dig and drill for that shiny, mighty, evasive stone. And when they hear that choo-choo train, they curse the coal train that brought them to Johannesburg."
Masekela's horn, like the tired wail of a man who has lost hope, gently infiltrates the musical score to deliver an impassioned ode to the labourers who mined the gold upon which the wealth of Johannesburg, and arguably South Africa, was built.
It is not a cheerful song, and so I resisted its insistence on being the soundtrack to my thoughts as I travelled to Midrand on Wednesday for a ride on the Gautrain. Having spent the past year following the key developments of the Gautrain, this particular day filled me with great excitement. The concept of a world-class, high-speed railway system for South Africa was fast becoming a reality and I could hardly believe that a ride on a train, that few believed would ever materialise, was waiting for me across Allandale Road.
Yet still Masekela's voice persisted; "Stimela," he shouted, and the haunting song sent my thoughts back to the history of the railways in the Witwatersrand, and the stories of loss and displacement as locomotives separated millions of mineworkers from their homes and families.
This sentiment is captured in another more popular song that some regard as South Africa's "second national anthem." Shosholoza belies its joyful energy as it tells of the trains that carried men across distant lands and over mountains to work in the mines of South Africa.
Ultimately both songs are reminders of the voices from deep in the earth that refuse to let their sacrifices be forgotten.
A new song
When the Gautrain made its entrance onto the platform in the Midrand depot amid fireworks and billows of smoke, a group of Gautrain workers dressed in orange overalls burst into song, beating drums to the familiar tune of Shosholoza.
It was an exciting moment, albeit confusing. Guests didn't know whether to stand or remain seated, photographers clamoured around each other trying to get as close to the train as security officials would allow and no one was quite sure whether to applaud or to admire the train in silence.
The only group of people with any sense of certainty were the orange-overalled, drum-beating performers whose voices rose in a stirring Shosholoza crescendo. It was almost as if they had resolved that, through this song, we would usher in this bold new chapter in South Africa's rail history.
The Gautrain is certainly a giant leap forward in terms of advancing public transport in our country. A dream 10 years in the making, the Gautrain has made extensive contributions towards job creation, black economic empowerment and skills development, with 93 000 people employed directly and indirectly in Africa's largest private-public partnership.
It will serve as a benchmark against which transportation developments in the continent are measured, and it will certainly fast track the City of Johannesburg's progress towards 'world-class' status.
However, the Gautrain will not erase the voices of Masekela's miners as they cry "Stimela" from the belly of the earth, nor the voices of those who first sang "Shosholoza" as the trains took them further from their families. Those voices must continue to serve as a reminder of the toil and hardship endured by those who built this City of Gold.
While enjoying the smooth, comfortable ride aboard the train on Wednesday, I watched people outside stop their cars to take pictures of the Gautrain in action, and I thought, already the Gautrain is working its magic. Upon hearing Masekela's coal train coming from afar, people cursed it, but today when people see the Gautrain, they stop to admire it with pride.
Without a doubt, the Gautrain is introducing a new song to our local repertoire of train-related tunes, one which reflects the spirit of a united, progressing South Africa. After all, as the project's managers often say, "the Gautrain is not about moving people from Pretoria to Johannesburg but about moving entire communities to a brighter tomorrow with the hope of more than they have today."
By Lindy Mtongana
