Urgent action needed to resuscitate NRZ

The Government has been urged to accelerate the revival of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to enhance its role in providing crucial logistical solutions essential for the country’s development. 
Reviving NRZ is seen as vital for improving transportation infrastructure, which supports economic growth, industrial development, and efficient movement of goods and services.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development, following a tour of NRZ facilities in Bulawayo, Dete, Hwange, and Victoria Falls, expressed concern over the damaged Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway. This damage, caused by trucks transporting coal from Hwange, underscores the need for better rail services to ease the strain on road infrastructure.

Committee chairperson Knowledge Kaitano highlighted the issue of coal miners preferring road transport despite NRZ’s competitive rates and noted NRZ's outdated technology. He emphasized the importance of modernizing and capitalizing NRZ to meet logistical needs effectively.

NRZ board chairperson Advocate Mike Madiro stressed the parastatal's importance in supporting the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and achieving an upper middle-income society by 2030. He acknowledged the challenges faced but emphasized that NRZ is crucial for logistical solutions and economic efficiency.

Adv Madiro noted that the parliamentary tour was crucial for oversight and understanding NRZ's challenges. NRZ general manager Ms. Respina Zinyanduko reported that the entity is working on identifying and evaluating its assets nationwide.