GOVERNMENT will take the necessary steps to save the Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA) from collapse, Transport, Supply, Works and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga has said.
Mr Mukanga said Government will not allow the collapse of TAZARA and that efforts would be made to ensure that the railway firm operated at its best again.
The Minister said this when China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) vice president Zhao Zhongning called on him.
“It is the desire of the Government to ensure that TAZARA improves its operations and it would be illogical for Zambia to let the railway firm collapse because there are a lot of logistical challenges which need the services of TAZARA,” he said.
This is contained in a statement released by TAZARA head of public relations Conrad Simuchile yesterday.
Mr Mukanga said TAZARA had not only played a key role in the development of the Zambia, but was also good for fostering good relationships with neighbouring countries.
It was the wish of Government to ensure that the TAZARA line was connected and interlinked to many parts of the country in order to enable the railway line become viable within the country through local operations.
“It is for that reason that there are plans by the Zambian government to construct railway spurs to link TAZARA to Mpulungu from Nseluka and to Chipata from Mpika,” Mr Mukanga said.
As construction and rehabilitation of the road infrastructure was going on, it was also necessary to work on the railway network because without functional railways, the roads would continue getting damaged.
Meanwhile, Mr Zhao said he was aware that the Chinese Government’s willingness to reconstruct TAZARA.
Mr Zhao later proceeded to meet Transport, Supply, Works and Communications deputy minister Panji Kaunda, who said that he was excited to hear that the Chinese were willing to reconstruct TAZARA and was looking forward to the day when the rebirth of the firm would be announced.
CCECC is the Chinese state company that surveyed and constructed TAZARA in the 1970’s and Mr Zhao was in the country with television crew to record a documentary on the history of the railway company.
Zambia and Tanzania this year released US$80 million to salvage TAZARA for collapse.
Your 90 days is up!No mores empty promises
Yangu,nachi papa,kanshi niba Panji Kaunda.Naba pompa.Ukulya bwino
Once the Germans stopped servicing Tazara locomotives Tazara went to the DOGS!! PROOF that Africans cannot manage anything… When i saw the workshop now “grave yard” for locomotives the Germans left in perfect condition i was in shock!!
why cant we just part with Tanzania and share property. PF has the capacity to revamp this company evedenced by Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia ZR and ZAMTEL
if we part, Zambia loses out because most of the infrastructure is on the Tanzanian side.
Monde, don’t you know that Zamtel is again loss making after being turned around by Lapgreen? For as long we ignore basic investment considerations we will continue with these non- performing parastatals! If I had my way I would make sure that none of the taxes I pay go to non- performing parastatals! I challenge government to compel all parastatals to be publishing their quarterly and annual results in the press for the public to scrutinize them. They can’t just be abusing our taxes in connivance with Ministers!
It does not help to promise anything by pf at this election time than just doing things for people to see. Just deliver imwe ba pf. Why do you want to decampaign yourself? Talking and promising is like losing direction. If Lungu claimed to have a vision as well he would have left room to make promises over things his party failed to do. He has tied himself to all failures of his party and the late president. Therefore nobody is prepared to undergo the same kind of bad treatments and sufferings. Lungu is a man of action he should promise to undo what went wrong. Time is still there to make corrective measures and make meaningful promises like anybody else. Late Sata miserably failed due to illhealth and others. It is wrong for Lungu to promise to do the failures of Sata people don’t want.
How can someone this stup@d and dull be a minister of a highly sensitive ministry of a landlocked country? One tazara wagon of copper is worth about $2mllion…yet we are goint to waste close to $80m on a presidential bye election that could have been avoided via a constitution that allowed a running mate.