The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
THE Government is set to procure 400 wagons and 14 locomotives for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) under the $400 million recapitalisation deal, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Addressing sugarcane farmers during the commissioning of the newly-rehabilitated 35km Nandi-Mkwasine railway line in Chiredzi last Wednesday, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Jorum Gumbo said the proposed $400 million capital injection from DIDG/Transnet would allow the country’s struggling rail sector to get a face lift and achieve efficiency.
“We have received money to the tune of $400 million for the recapitalisation of NRZ from DIDG-Transnet, a consortium of people in the Diaspora.
After we have finished signing some agreements the investor will bring in 480 wagons and 14 locomotives,” said Dr Gumbo.
He said his ministry was targeting to revitalise all railway lines across the country and then resume passenger trains for easy travelling of the citizenry.
“The rehabilitated Nandi-Mkwasine railway line will go a long way in helping our indigenous farmers as well as saving our roads. The recapitalisation project will bear the much needed fruits and as I am speaking everything is on course. The company will also have state-of-the-art signal systems. We are also intending to introduce fast trains between towns, as part of the second phase of the recapitalisation project,” said Dr Gumbo.
He also said the Government would continue to champion capital projects that contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“My ministry’s mandate is in three major areas — roads, NRZ and aviation. I have already done the work and I am implementing. It is not about this Beitbridge-Harare alone but there is Harare-Victoria Falls Road. In aviation, we want 12 airlines we requested for partnership with Malaysia but there is a bad debt of $330 million that our airline (Air Zim) needs to clear. I have shifted the work to private partners like DIDG to take over from where I had left, to lease 12 planes from Malaysia.” -@walterbmswazie3
