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THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says two people have been apprehended and handed over to the police after they were found illegally occupying one of the parastatal’s properties.
The NRZ has embarked on a massive drive to recover vast swathes of its land along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge line from illegal occupants amid indications that some occupants are leasing out the properties raking in as much as US$2 000 per month in the process prejudicing the parastatal of much-needed revenue.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) the NRZ said four people were found illegally occupying one of its properties along the Gweru-Mvuma line.
“The NRZ would like to warn against illegal occupation of its premises. This comes after four people were found illegally occupying its properties along the Gweru-Mvuma line. Two of them were arrested and handed over to police while their accomplices vanished,” posted NRZ.
“This is in addition to various other cases reported around the country recently. The NRZ has since launched a drive to recover all illegally occupied properties.”
The parastatal seeks to generate at least US$1 million monthly from its real estate. At present, the section is netting at least US$500 000.
NRZ is Zimbabwe’s largest private land owner, with a real estate portfolio worth a staggering US$300 million, according to a report produced by an independent valuer in October last year.
Its real estate business portfolio is responsible for overseeing the parastatal’s assets that include commercial land and farms, office accommodation, residential houses (employees and private tenants), warehouses and commercial developments at stations and sidings as well as joint venture developments on railway reserves.
According to NRZ, the areas which were occupied by the illegal occupants include Esigodini, West Nicholson and Gwanda among others where people took advantage of the gap that existed when private railway company, Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railways (BBR) was granted authority to run the line as a private concession in the late 1990s.
Business Chronicle understands that according to the results of a thorough investigation commissioned by the company in July, some of the occupants actually turned into land barons, parceling out and leasing stands on their own and realising a fortune out of the land.
An investigation team set up by the NRZ management also discovered that these barons were pocketing as much as US$2 000 per month from leasing NRZ properties without paying anything to the Administration.
A team was then sent on the ground to issue leases to those occupying the land.
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