Thursday, March 28, 2024

TAZARA gets new Deputy Managing Director

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The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Board of Directors has appointed Betram Kiswaga as the new Deputy Managing Director of the Authority.

Dr Kiswaga replaces Mr. Saidi Sauko who had been acting in the position for administrative convenience since 2013.

Dr. Kiswaga holds a Masters Degree and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and was until now, a lecturer and Acting Deputy Director of Planning, Finance and Administration at the National Institute of Transport of Tanzania, where he had been working since 2008.

This is according to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by the Head of Public Relations Conrad Simuchile.

Mr Simuchile said Dr. Kiswaga joins TAZARA at a time when the Authority faces daunting operational and financial challenges and is widely expected to take a lead in bringing the desired positive transformation in the operations.

In February 2015, the Presidents of Tanzania and Zambia, His Excellency Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, respectively, held a bilateral summit at which they directed the TAZARA Board of Directors to recruit the top executives of the authority on the basis of competence, qualifications and experience.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Is he a competent President himself? If not this appointment is just another fruitless process. And my haven’t we seen a few since we got stuck with this man. Can’t wait to see the back of him

  2. Another theorist appointed into a corporation in hope of turning things around..only in Africa…just like Atanga at ZRL…these companies do not need lecturers or PHD holders they need someone who can make them a profit; a seasoned manager and TAZARA will not be profitable as long as the continue relying on cheap substandard locomotives from the Chinese.

  3. Jay Jay – So to you a PhD holder is a theorist? What is Atanga’s PhD in? Is it relevant to the needs and requirements of ZRL? Do you know that nowadays there are a lot of young men and women who go through PhD programs before they go into industry and are therefore well-groomed to run industry?

    • This man Dr. Kiswaga holds a Masters Degree and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering…what do you think he is going to doing at Tazara? Constructing locomotives from scratch? The company simply needs a business manager its no wonder you appoint doctors to work as managing directors of General hospitals.

    • What makes you think he has no business acumen? What is a business manager anyway – what training does one need? My friend do not get caught up into the meaningless “business manager” term. Who tells you that the CEO of Boeing’s job is to design planes?

  4. I am with you Jay Jay, we want to hear how he turned a loss making or struggling corporation into a profit making venture that doubled or tripled its turnover within a reasonable period of time. If we want to keep jobs and TAZARA working, governments must re-look the whole entity and possibly change laws or regulations governing the entire company’s establishment. TAZARA was created when both Zambia and Tanzania were pursuing socialist policies with the aim of removing dependence on S.African ports and railways. Things have changed overtime but TAZARA is still left with old governance structures.At some stage they should leave some positions open to international competition so that they can get people with relevant experience to turn it around.

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