The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga in Victoria Falls
THE Government is working towards refurbishing the Victoria Falls to Mutare railway line as well as Gweru-Beitbridge-Chikwalakala line as part of efforts to keep the struggling National Railways of Zimbabwe viable and ensure employees return to work. More than 4 000 NRZ workers across the country downed tools in March protesting over unpaid salaries dating back to 15 months disrupting operations including the transportation of imported wheat and drought relief maize. The ailing parastatal owes workers about $68 million in unpaid salaries.
In an interview, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said efforts were underway to stabilise the workers’ situation by acquiring new contracts that will bring in work to generate the much needed money.
“Our efforts to get some work for them should be complemented by them coming back to work because in as much as we understand their grievances, we will continue to persuade them to return to work. The general situation in the country is not rosy,” said Dr Gumbo.
He said the Government was bringing in a lot of maize because of the drought hence the need to revive NRZ which is critical in railing the food.
“We are concerned about the worker’s plight but they must understand that when companies are closing, it shows there is a problem with the economy and not a deliberate action that NRZ cannot meet wages but a national problem that the country is facing,” said Dr Gumbo.
He said his ministry was negotiating with about four companies that have shown interest in partnering NRZ to rehabilitate the company.
“Although we cannot say much about the progress of the negotiations, we will get the best deal with whoever becomes more attractive. There are plans to refurbish the railway lines from Victoria Falls to Mutare, Gweru through to Beitbridge, all these efforts to keep our staff at work,” he said.
The Government earlier this month released about $3 million to pay the striking workers. According to Dr Gumbo some of the money was acquired through discounted treasury bonds.
Meanwhile, Dr Gumbo also addressed the issue of the lack of substantive bosses at some of the parastatals under his ministry.
During an ease of doing business seminar held in Bulawayo recently, parliamentarians expressed concern over the number of acting CEOs at companies like Air Zimbabwe, Zinara and NRZ saying this would impede on the recovery of parastatals and improving the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe.
Dr Gumbo said on the case of NRZ, a general manager has been appointed. The company confirmed that Engineer Lewis Mukwada who has been acting general manager of NRZ since the death of Retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai in a car accident in 2013 has been appointed on a substantive basis.
Dr Gumbo said, his ministry was also in the process of seeking the head of Air Zimbabwe and Zinara. Mr Edmund Makona has also been acting chief executive officer at Air Zimbabwe since 2013 while Mr Engineer Moses Juma has been acting CEO at Zinara since 2014.
