Omega Ukama 
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says it is looking to create partnerships within the region and internationally to help revive the country’s rail services.
It comes as efforts to recapitalise the embattled state enterprise — currently operating at a capacity utilisation of only 20 percent — have stalled.
“We have a strategic plan that we have developed for revival, and active engagements towards this goal include our excellent relations with our friends in Mozambique,” Martin Dinha, NRZ’s board chairman told a regional meeting on infrastructure last week.
“We are looking to form synergies within the region. Recently, we had a meeting with the Indonesian envoy, as part of our efforts to open up the Beira corridor for more business. We have also opened a new avenue for Botswana railways to enable the movement of people between Gaborone and Harare,” he said.
The chairman also noted that the company has plans to reintroduce passenger train services between Harare and Beira.
“We already have a service for the Bulawayo Maputo route”.
He said countries within the region have an interest in the success of the company because of Zimbabwe’s strategic position.
“The country sits strategically on the north-south corridor. Land-locked as it is, people cannot do business in the copper mines in Zambia without NRZ for example. People cannot develop mining exploitation in DRC without us…the same for the Tswanas crossing over to Mozambique, and for South Africans as well,” Dinha said.
