The Railway Workers Union of Zambia (RWUZ) has called on government to help curb scrap metal dealers from cutting parts of locomotives that have been reserved for rehabilitation.
RWUZ president Gravel Musonda said it was unfortunate that instead of cutting metal from scraps outside the workshop yard, most of the metal dealers had lately invaded unmanned RSZ machinery that could be rehabilitated and put back on to the track.
ZANIS reports Mr. Musonda, who was with general secretary Elias Mwila, saying this in an interview in Kabwe, today.
He accused the RSZ board of permitting the scrap metal dealers to cut into pieces even machinery that could easily be repaired if money was available.
Among the machinery affected include coaches which could also be rehabilitated and used as commuter trains in Lusaka and other bigger towns of the country to reduce on the passenger congestion on the roads.
“The board should use initiative of ensuring that there is recapitalization of the company so that spare parts are bought to repair these locomotives and coaches. This way, the company will have a longer span not in this case where everything will end up sold,’ he said.
He explained that the union point of view was that some of the locomotive engines and coaches should be reserved for the future generation to see.
Mr Musonda said the union was wondering as to where the money raised from the scrap metal was going because it was supposed to be spent on repairing the locomotives so that in case RSZ pulled out, the nation would remain with its own machinery.
“Almost all the coaches and the locomotives that were kept for rehabilitation have been cut and sold. Who is eating the money? This is sabotage and something should be done immediately to spare the few remaining ones,’ he said.
Meanwhile Mr. Musonda expressed concern at the rate the railway line reserve was being taken up by people building residential houses.
He said according to the railway line regulations, nobody should build a residential house 50 m on both sides of the line.
He said the union was however concerned that in case of rail accident and spillage of dangerous chemicals occurred, lives of people living near the line could be lost or be affected negatively.
Mr. Musonda called on the board to ensure this was stopped before lives were lost.
Efforts to get a comment from ZRL managing Director Knox Karima failed as he was reported to be in a management meeting.
ZANIS
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Scrap metal is becoming a very lucrative business universally due to the high price of metal products coupled with a drastic decrease of the iron and steel reserves. Even here in Germany it is common to read about parts of railway lines gone missing. .
Under 20 yrs of MMD everything is for sale in Zambia. Nothing is sacred. Our forests are being depleted and rivers poluted by so called investors at the fastest rate ever. If we continue with MMD future generations will only have shopping malls with everything being sold by these MMD crooks.