National Railways of Zimbabwe was one of the best railway networks in Southern Africa, when the Zimbabwe government inherited it from colonial Rhodesia ( Rhodesia Railways RR). The railway lines were a network of a well organized, maintained ‘feeder link’ that oiled the economy of Zimbabwe of the 1980s, even extending its services to neighboring Botswana, Zambia and even South Africa. The railway system was an envy of neighboring countries as the Zimbabwe economy grew. The railway system ferried cargo through the then Renamo bandit infested ‘Beira Corridor ‘ ‘ to Mozambique as a conduit for oil and other imports and exports. Will NRZ be rescued from the jaws of state inflicted mismanagement, corruption and parastatal rot?
National Railways of Zimbabwe can only be revamped if government curtails Corruption, which rendered parastatals ineffective in Zimbabwe.
“ There is need to nip corruption in the bud and bring those corrupt elements to book. Also the railway track system needs complete overhaul, electrifying the system, updating the signal system and purchase of state of the art locomotives and trucks. There is need to modernize the railway system in Zimbabwe by attracting foreign investors to pump in technical and financial support into the railway structures”, said Moffat Richardson, a former NRZ employee.
The current government and the Minister of Transport & Infrastructural Development Hon Joel Biggie Matiza has been doing well in the development of road network and there is hope that 2021 will see a major shift into massive railway rehabilitation exercise taking place and turn the railway network into one that will attract investors in Zimbabwe and usher a new era under the second Republic, where the railway system will be fully back on track and steaming ahead in cargo and passenger carrying super structure unit.
