Latest news with #PRASA
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Viral TikTok shows toddler melting hearts with train greetings
In a world where train rides are often quiet, with strangers avoiding eye contact and scrolling through phones, one little boy in Cape Town gave everyone a much-needed moment of pure, joyful connection. A TikTok video posted by @othembelepumane has gone beautifully viral—earning over 23 million views and 4.3 million likes—for the most heart-melting reason: a toddler walking through the aisle enthusiastically greeting every passenger with a cheery 'hello guys!' What followed wasn't just a smile-worthy moment—it was a reminder of how contagious children's joy can be. In the viral TikTok, which was shared from a train in Cape Town, South Africa, the toddler energetically waved and spoke to every rider he passed, leaving no row untouched by his genuine goodwill. His mom, Othembele, later shared that this is simply who he is. 'He even asks how are they doing, I'd be standing next to him like his bodyguard,' she laughs. Related: Toddler gives viral crumpet order—and mom's calm response wins the internet And if you scroll through the comments, you'll find a beautiful chorus of reactions from viewers—ranging from laughter to deep emotional resonance. @S I S I P H O M A Q H U L A joked, 'Social anxiety is scared of him ,' while others shared more heartfelt takes like @AccordingtoPuse, who said, 'He changed the atmosphere .' Even brands joined in. PRASA, the local rail authority, called it the 'best train mood ever,' and Lipton Ice Tea quipped, 'He's got better social skills than me.' But perhaps the most touching part of this story is what it reveals about children. Their emotional instinct to connect, to spread joy without expectation, is something many adults forget along the way. Little ones like this remind us what unfiltered kindness looks like—free of performance, purely rooted in empathy and joy. Related: 'This could have been an email': Toddler's priceless reaction to meeting baby sister goes viral As parents, moments like these give us the opportunity to nurture this kind of emotional generosity. Not by pressuring our kids to 'perform' socially, but by making space for their confidence to grow naturally. According to child development experts, greeting rituals and warm social exchanges can support a child's sense of belonging and emotional security. So whether he's a future TED Talk speaker or just someone who makes a room warmer by being in it, one thing is clear—this tiny greeter left a big impression.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Reopening of Central Line Will Ease Traffic Congestion on Cape Town Freeways
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, Mr Donald Selamolela, has noted with appreciation the successful reopening of the Central Line connecting Khayelitsha to the CBD. Mr Selamolela attended the function that was overseen by the Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy, Deputy Minister Mr Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and the City of Cape Town Mayor, Mr Geordin Hill-Lewis. Mr Selamolela said: 'This is a significant infrastructural rail project that must benefit our people to and from work. We particularly appreciate the investment government has put into this project. We are changing the lives of people of Cape Town for the better.' The Central Line which used to commute 2 million passengers daily, had fallen victim to vandalism which saw the rail tracks being stolen and the stations being vandalised. This Mr Selamolela called on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) not to lose momentum and increase the volume of carriages on the rails while significantly improve signalling equipment as that will ease pressure on Cape Town freeways. 'The reopening must not end with the photo opportunity of officials, but a real change in people's lives through the provision of affordable, safe and reliable public transport. PRASA must act with speed and regain the trust people used to place on trains. We want them to be a transport mode of choice.' Mr Selamolela urged the community and community leaders to play a role in protecting and guarding the rolling stock and the network as the assets are theirs. 'The greatest security is in the hands of the people. They must safeguard the Central Line against cable theft and burning of trains.' 'Our country requires this service as of yesterday. So many of our people are unemployed and will benefit greatly from this PRASA initiative.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Eyewitness News
5 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
PRASA reveals it's spent R1.3bn so far on getting CT's central line back on track
CAPE TOWN - The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) said it spent R1.3 billion so far to ensure that train services on Cape Town's central line were back on track. It's the busiest train corridor in the Western Cape, transporting more than 600,000 passengers daily during peak times. The central line was brought to its knees by illegal occupation of railway tracks and infrastructure vandalism just before the COVID-19 pandemic. ALSO READ: • Creecy hails reopening of Chris Hani rail corridor on CT's central line as a critical milestone • After Chris Hani rail corridor reopened, Hill-Lewis keen to see full train service resume in CT • Crucial link in Cape Town's central rail network reopens PRASA officials said they'd made inroads in recovering almost all train services, except for three train stations. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, together with PRASA officials, went on a train ride on Thursday from the Chris Hani train station in Khayelitsha to the Cape Town CBD. This was part of the re-launch of train services to this leg of the city's central line. PRASA CEO Hishaam Emeran said that the R1.3 billion spent excluded the procurement of new trains. "It's mainly on the infrastructure recovery. Rebuilding the tracks, looking at our electrical infrastructure, the overhead lines and our substations that we had to rebuild, the passenger stations that we had to rebuild." He added that that full train services should be restored by the end of July on all rail networks in the Mother City.
Eyewitness News
5 days ago
- Eyewitness News
After Chris Hani rail corridor reopened, Hill-Lewis keen to see full train service resume in CT
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said he was happy to see trains moving again in the city, albeit at a reduced scale. The mayor accompanied Minister of Transport Barbra Creecy, her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and members of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) board, who reopened the Chris Hani corridor in Khayelitsha on Thursday. This is one of the crucial links in Cape Town's central rail network. Services in this line came to a screeching halt in November 2019 due to widespread theft and vandalism. PRASA said that of the 124 Metrorail train stations in the province, only three did not have train access. Cape Town's central line is considered the backbone of public transport in the Western Cape, ferrying more than half a million train commuters when operating at its peak. Hill-Lewis said that the normal resumption of train services would be beneficial for all Capetonians. "At the moment, it's costing you more than R40 to use a minibus taxi to get to town, and this is going to bring the cost for every resident of Khayelitsha down significantly. It's going to save you money, it's going to save you time - this is a very important public service." PRASA said that full train services on the line would resume as soon as the three remaining train stations were reopened in a few months' time.
Eyewitness News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Budget 3.0: National Treasury slashes funds for early retirement programme
JOHANNESBURG - National Treasury has slashed funds allocated to reintroduce the early retirement programme, cutting it down by half. A whooping R11 billion was set aside during the March budget to entice public servants into early retirement as the government tries to scale down on its enormous Public Sector Wage Bill. The incentive for a voluntary exit is also set to rejuvenate the public service while retaining critical skills and promoting the entry of younger talent. READ IN FULL: The Budget Speech - 21 May 2025 While the plan is still in place, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says the money set aside for the early retirement programme has been revised to R5.5 billion for two years. Godongwana delivered another budget at the national assembly on Wednesday, after two failed attempts earlier this year. 'This budget also retains the provisional allocations for early retirement, allocations for PRASA [Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa] and the municipal trading entity reforms announced before, but at a slightly lower level than anticipated in the March 12 budget.'
