Zim GBC News | Parliamentary Diaries
Members of Parliament are intensifying pressure on the government to urgently rehabilitate the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), warning that the country’s mining boom is overwhelming transport infrastructure and accelerating the deterioration of major roads.
The calls come amid repeated failed attempts to resuscitate the struggling parastatal, which continues to grapple with ageing infrastructure, rolling stock shortages, and mounting debt.
In an interview with Zim GBC News, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport chairperson Tawanda Karikoga confirmed that the committee is prioritizing transport infrastructure to prevent logistical bottlenecks from undermining economic growth.
“There are many things that we are pushing for as a portfolio committee,” Karikoga said.
“The ministry we oversee has about nine parastatals under it, but on this tour we are concentrating on transport infrastructure, mainly the road network, which we appreciate the President is addressing.”
“However, we are also pushing for the revival of the NRZ so that it eases pressure on our roads. We want NRZ to start transporting minerals again and we are also urging the department of roads to set clear performance targets,” he emphasized.
Karikoga revealed that parliament is pushing the NRZ to resume bulk mineral freight operations to reduce the growing number of overloaded trucks damaging highways, particularly along critical mining corridors.
The committee is also advocating for expanded infrastructure to monitor compliance, with Karikoga stating,
“We need more tollgates and weighbridges to ensure trucks comply with load limits because overloading is causing serious damage to our roads.”
To accelerate the rail revival, the committee plans to engage the Mutapa Investment Fund, which manages state assets, to assess NRZ’s rehabilitation plans and demand tangible progress.
This urgency comes against the backdrop of NRZ’s dramatic decline over the past two decades, marked by collapsed freight volumes and infrastructure decay. Previous revival attempts, including a US$400 million joint venture with the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group and South Africa’s Transnet in 2017, have collapsed, along with a more recent proposal by a Russian-led consortium.
“We want NRZ to be back on track,” Karikoga stressed.
“If you listen to what the minister of Finance says, mineral production in this country has tripled, that means NRZ must now be operational and move those minerals efficiently.”
With official data confirming that mineral output has indeed tripled, lawmakers warn that without a functional railway system, continued reliance on road transport will accelerate infrastructure decay, inflate maintenance costs, and undermine the country’s economic competitiveness.
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