‘Deal to boost NRZ’
TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says the deal it struck with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s counterpart, Societe Nationale des chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC), will boost and transform the struggling railway company.
General manager Respina Zinyanduko recently signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of NRZ while SNCC director of operations, Marc Manyanga Ndambo signed on behalf of the DRC company.
Senior officials from the DRC railway company toured NRZ operations in Bulawayo this week.
“This has invoked the desire to promote the transformation of the two companies . (The deal) will provide innovative, seamless, reliable and cost-effective logistics solutions for goods and passengers,” NRZ acting public relations manager Martin Banda told Business Times.
He said the NRZ is re-organising itself to become competitive despite stiff competition.
SNCC will refurbish 200 NRZ wagons and the tour was a follow-up to assess the state of the 200 NRZ high sided wagons, Banda said.
Under the agreement, NRZ will in partnership with SNCC refurbish the wagons in order to ferry coal from Hwange in Zimbabwe to Kolwezi in the DRC while exploring ways to increase rail traffic between the two corridors.
Banda said officials from SNCC were using the visit to cement and enhance co-operation between the two railway companies.
“As Southern African Railway Association members, it has been realised that cooperation and collaboration between regional rail companies was important as they were facing stiff competition from road competition,” he said .
The development comes at a time when NRZ’s operations have been crippled by dilapidated equipment and to some extent vandalism on rail infrastructure.
Official statistics show that NRZ has 3 626 high-sided wagons.
Of these, only 2 314 are currently in service, while those out of operation are vacuum-braked wagons that are in a poor condition.
Only 31 of these wagons received in 2016 have dual braking systems, which are acceptable in some of the region’s key economies.
Banda said the use of rail to carry bulk cargo will translate into several benefits that include reduction in road traffic accidents, deaths and less damage to the national road network caused by haulage trucks carrying cargo ideal for rail transport and a realisation of the cost effectiveness of moving both bulk raw materials.
He said the rail parastatal was undertaking a number of initiatives to build its capacity, develop its export markets and to strengthen its economic partnership agreements.
The tour by officials from SNCC is one of those initiatives, Banda said.
It also comes after NRZ signed an MoU with Turkish construction company Yapi Merkezi last year in September, to collaborate in the modernisation and rehabilitation of Zimbabwe’s railway infrastructure
