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Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT is pleased with progress on the restructuring of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), which is aimed at ensuring that the bulk transportation company plays its part towards attainment of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joe Biggie Matiza said this on Friday during the commissioning of the NRZ Museum as a National Tourism Development Site by President Mnangagwa.

He said the ongoing restructuring exercise would revive the ailing organisation and increase its contribution to economic development.

“Allow me to appreciate the Government’s efforts to revive, revamp and re-enable NRZ to play its part in economic development through the parastatal or State enterprises reform,” said Matiza.

“So far, I am happy with the restructuring process taking place at NRZ as well as the energy and drive the new management is pursuing in the parastatal’s work.

“We are sure that with this drive and with the infusion of new blood in the current management, we should be able to turn NRZ towards achieving Government’s Vision 2030 to ensure a prosperous upper middle-income economy for the country,” he said.

Since the start of the restructuring process led by NRZ board chair, Advocate Martin Dinha, Minister Matiza said the new management under the acting general manager Mr Joseph Mashika, has set the organisation on a positive trajectory. He said there is a need for NRZ to be capacitated in order for it to fully play its role in economic development.

“The new management has said it urgently needs 41 locomotives, 300 wagons and 300 coaches to improve the parastatal’s capacity,” he said.

Minister Matiza said NRZ last bought locomotives in 1992 and coaches in 1997 while on other occasions it has always been a case of hiring equipment as well as rehabilitating old equipment.

While doing this, he said, the parastatal has suffered in terms of spares for locomotives, a majority of which are imported.

“Sanctions have not spared NRZ as its locomotives are originally from countries that imposed sanctions on us like America,” he said.

“Over the years, NRZ has accumulated a huge debt overhang largely owing to decreased capacity levels that have seen the organisation reducing its workforce and experiencing a sharp decline in freight from a high of at least 14 million tonnes in 1998 to an average of 2,7 million annually.

“At present day, the entire railway industry in the country needs a concerted rehabilitation and overhaul programme to bring back the parastatal on track,” said Matiza.

“While the world over passenger train services are not profitable, the NRZ believes if the Government supports its initiatives especially around commuter and intercity trains it can find ways of breaking even.

“We request the Government to support the passenger train service project with 300 state-of-the-art coaches, which can signal our drive towards Government’s Vision 2030 expectations.” — @okazunga.