Vandalism, theft and illegal mining threaten NRZ’s revival

THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has raised a red flag over rampant theft and vandalism of infrastructure, including illegal mining activities along the rail tracks which it says is hampering its efforts to revitalise operations.

This was revealed during a tour of the NRZ facilities in Bulawayo by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development. The committee is also set to tour NRZ posts in Shangani, Dete, Hwange and Victoria Falls.

NRZ, which is a key player in the country’s transport sector, is struggling to overcome these challenges to ensure seamless operations and growth of its railway network. NRZ general manager, Ms Respina Zinyanduko, said vandalism and theft of infrastructure is adversely affecting operations.

“As NRZ, we play a pivotal role in terms of movement of goods including grain. This drought season we were tasked to move 30 000 tonnes of grain to different parts of the country. We have now been given an additional 40 000 tonnes which we are moving,” said Ms Zinyanduko.

She told the committee that part of the parastatal’s strategies to recapitalise is engaging investors.”We have ongoing negotiations with a bank to secure a loan of about US$100 million to buy locomotives and wagons. We are also engaging partners in the industry and one of the companies we are already working with is Zimasco which is refurbishing 100 wagons and three locomotives,” said Ms Zinyanduko.

She said instead of just waiting to get funds to buy new locomotives, working with partners in the industry had helped NRZ to boost its capacity. Ms Zinyanduko however, said the major setback to the company’s turnaround strategy is theft and vandalism of infrastructure.

“One of our major setbacks was the suspension of the electric train that ran from Dabuka in Gweru to Harare as a result of vandalism. Zimbabwe took a loan of about US$24 million for the electrification project. That money was used to procure equipment and electric locomotives,” she said.

Ms Zinyanduko said NRZ was forced the suspend the running of the electric train after the line was vandalised.
She said the theft and vandalism does not only disrupt services but also pose significant safety risks. Ms Zinyanduko said illegal gold panners were also mining under railway tracks.

“The illegal mining activities are not only damaging our railway lines but also threaten the sustainability of our operations. They dig tunnels under the rails and in most instances you cannot see that there is a tunnel underneath until the rainy season,” she said.

Ms Zinyanduko said this results in trains falling into the tunnels which is very dangerous.”As we strive to revitalise the NRZ and enhance our services, tackling theft, vandalism and illegal mining is paramount. We are committed to safeguarding our infrastructure and ensuring the security and efficiency of our railway operations.

“We have a vibrant team of security personnel that are working around the clock to prevent these ills,” she said.
Ms Zinyanduko outlined a comprehensive plan to address the issues of theft, vandalism and illegal mining. She said they will be implementing enhanced security measures, conducting regular inspections and maintenance of infrastructure and collaborating with relevant authorities to combat illegal activities along railway lines.

“We cannot combat these threats alone. We rely on the collective efforts of all stakeholders to protect our infrastructure and promote the sustainable growth of the National Railways of Zimbabwe,” she said. The chairman of the Portfolio Committee Cde Knowledge Kaitano said the NRZ is a critical component of Zimbabwe’s economy, which plays a crucial role in the transportation of goods across the country, linking various regions and supporting trade activities.

“We have realised that NRZ needs to modernise its infrastructure to meet demand for its services. The advantage of NRZ is that it has the technical know-how and what it needs is the capital,” he said.