THE Chief Executives of Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL), Mr Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika and Professor Clive Chirwa, over the weekend signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide for the enhancement of co-operation between the two railways.
Mr Mbikusita-Lewanika said that the meeting with his counterpart had advanced the process of defining and mapping out how best to smoothen and expand rail transportation across rail systems, with the aim of better facilitation of trade and development in Southern and Eastern Africa.
“The signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Zambia Railways and TAZARA is to be followed by a comprehensive agreement on business cooperation and implementation arrangements,” Mr Mbikusita-Lewanika said.
This is contained in a statement released by TAZARA public relations manager Conrad Simuchile.
Mr Mbikusita-Lewanika expressed gratitude for Prof. Chirwa’s “encouraging contribution towards a renewed and reinvigorated chapter in the relationship between the twin railway systems, following the decision by the Government of Zambia to revoke the concession of ZRL.”
He affirmed that “TAZARA was committed and eager to cooperate with ZRL to determine and implement the progressive and good business goal of proving railway customers with a seamless service between Lubumbashi and Dar es Salaam.”
And Prof. Chirwa during the same signing accepted TAZARA‘s invitation to travel later this month to Dar es Salaam for the next round of discussions, where the main business agreement shall be finalized and signed, together with agreements for operational arrangements.
The two Chief Executives are later expected to meet with their counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Chief Executive for SNCC), in order to bring the Congolese Railway systems on board with these joint efforts to increase the rail market share on the Dar es Salaam Corridor from the current unsatisfactorily low 10% to 40% within the shortest possible time.
This is a proposition being passed on from a business meeting held in Dar es Salaam a few weeks ago, at which senior officers of ZRL and TAZARA agreed to join efforts and resources towards reviving and enhancing rail traffic levels on the Dar es Salaam Corridor and providing customers with a seamless service.
The objective is for the railway systems to allow each other’s locomotives and wagons into each other’s railway spheres, when it makes business sense and when it is in the interest of customers.
This is intended as a contribution to reducing the cost and inconvenience of doing business with railways systems, by avoiding forcing customers to tranship cargo at Kapiri Mposhi.
Professor Clive Chirwa, SOME people know that you want to become a president of Zambia. So your dream will come true depend on your peformance NOW. If you do well, you will surely become NEXT PF PRESIDENT. We are watching you man. WAKE UP! ITS ADVENT TIME
what about the backlog of salaries to the workers? how do you intend to solve it?
Tazara hasn’t paid its old workers even to date, I think this deal may be not reap the best results in future.
Sata’s choice at work. Watch the space – 3 years to turn rail transport upside down
lost resources..
Sort out what makes passanger take more than 6 hours (up to 24 hours and more) to travel from kitwe to lusaka. The same for goods. Train travel time ought to be faster than road travel time. Where has been the madness?
Floyd, the state of the tracks is so bad the trains can’t do more than 50km per hour! The Prof needs to start from there. Of course this will call for a lot of investment and that’s where we need to see the govt ‘walk the talk’. ZRL needs to be transformed into a modern railway system and make it profitable and efficient. It has the potential to handle more than 70% of the movement of goods which in turn will reduce the load on our already bad roads. All this copper we see being transported by road can go on ZRL. I just hope the govt gives the Prof and his counterpart at TAZARA all the help they need. It is for the good of mother Zambia.
Nice.Way to go
The idea is very good, it does not make sense to unload goods at Kapiri and then load them onto another line as if its different countries! Why didn’t MMD think of this ages ago? Seleni tubombeko!
You exposure should help sort out these railways systems. You have seen and learnt alot from ideal, second to none railway systems in Europe. Raise the ball game. Some problems are a reault of lack of exposure. You know how and what makes trains in Europe be so efficient, reliable, confortable, fast,and timely for both goods and passengers. What a way behind! Take usforward, grab business from many funny road transporters of men and goods. You will help roads become safer, improve efficiency and effectiveness of business. Go, go, go. The only limit is ourselves because of the way we have been and are still thinking. We can do better with our improved railway systems.
He is tumbuka like me. Very smart people
Should have happened in 1812!!!!!
LT you seriously need a proof reader, which schools did you attend to be authoring such Crap full of grammatical errors?!
He is Tumbuka Bemba.
LT, …ITS PROVIDING RAIL CUSTOMERS… AND NOT “…proving railway customers…”
YOUR SERVICE IS POOR. LIKE MOST ZAMBIAN COMPANIES YOU TAKE PEOPLE (THE READERSHIP IN THIS CASE), FOR GRANTED. YOU ARE PROVIDING FAULTY GOODS AND SAYING, “IT DOESN’T MATTER, THEY WONT SEE THE FAULT”.
#3 IS A PROPHET OF DOOM. HE WISHES PF TO FAIL THROUGH PROF. CHIRWA. GOOD LUCKY #3. PROF. CHIRWA HAS NEVER FAILED, MIND YOU.
ITS ALSO POINTLESS TO START PAYING A NEW FAIR WHEN YOU WANT TO CONNECT FROM TAZARA TO ZRL OR VICE VERSA. ONE SHOULD PAY A FAIR THAT INCLUDES BOTH SYSTEMS FOR BOTH AS A PASSENGER OR AS GOODS OR BOTH. THE TWO SYSTEMS WOULD THEM USE THE SYSTEMS TO SHARE THE FAIR(S) ACCORDINGLY. SIMILAR TO THE WAY IT IS IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WHEN ONE BUYS A DAY’S, WEEK’S, MONTH’S. OR ANNUAL TRAVEL CARD. ONE IS ALLOWED TO TRAVEL ACROSS DIFFERENT SYSTEMS (COMPANIES) WITH ONE PAYMENT. HOW THE MONEY IS SHARED BY THOSE COMPANIES IS NO SKIN OF A PASSENGER.
If TAZARA was an efficient company, it would have been ferrying the Japan imported second hand cars for Zambians from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri. The owners would then go and collect their cars from KAPIRI and pay ZRA from there as opposed to going to Nakonde. Food for thought bo AKA
#3 Man of Action,
I can’t believe what you are saying, you wish rail transport to be turned upside down? Rail transport has been upside down (in disorder) for ages and now Prof Chirwa’s desire is to improve the system for the benefit of all.
#8, IN FACT MOST OF THE PROBLEMS ARE DUE TO LACK OF EXPOSURE. JUST LOOK AT THE WAY SAT IS CREATING THE PROVINCES AND DISTRICTS. SATA HAS BEEN EXPOSED AND HE KNOWS THAT PRACTICAL DECENTRALIZATION IS THE THING THAT WILL BRING POWER TO THE PEOPLE. UN EXPOSED CHAPS LIKE HH (NO MATTER HOW EDUCATED THEY MAY BE) HAVE NO IDEA WHATSOEVER. AND WHEN THEY BARK THEY JUST EXPOSE THEIR IGNORANCE DUE TO LACK OF EXPOSURE. MULEENDAKO BASANKWA.
#9 YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY WITH YOUR JOKE. KEEP IT UP.
This should have happened way back, especially when Sata was minister since he is exposed after having chosen to be shanter as his career
#9 AND 12. MWATAMPA UKULWILA CHIRWA, EH! MUKAMUPELEKO AMA SISTERS BENU TO PROVE A POINT OF OWNERSHIP. INDEMONA KUTI ATEMWA SANA UKUCITAKO TASTE TU ORGANIC CHIBWABWA. HE HAS BEEN EATING INORGANICS FOR FAR TOO LONG IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
#16, IT CAN NEVER BE EFFICIENT UNDER AKASHAMBATWA. REMEMBER KITWE CERAMIC COMPANY? IT WAS BRAND NEW HANDED TO AKA BY KK. AFTER A FEW YEARS IT WAS RUN DOWN. AKA IS SPECIALIZED IN RUNNING DOWN COMPANIES, NO MATTER HOW STRATEGIC AND PROFIT-MAKING IT MAY BE. TAZARA NEEDS ANOTHER EXPOSED GUY TO RUN IT.
#16 RECYCLED SPOKES… I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WONDERING WHY PEOPLE HAVE TO TRAVEL TO DAR TO COLLECT THEIR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF KAPIRI MPOSHI. SURLY, AS AN EDUCATED MAN CAN’T AKA THINK OF SUCH A WONDERFUL IDEA? IS IT ALSO ROCKET SCIENCE TO HIM? WHAT IS EDUCATION FOR IF ONE CAN’T EVEN IMPLEMENT THE OBVIOUS?
Get busy, you set your bar too high. We watching!!!
his first assignment in the office is to galavant, what is wrong with Zambians? ZR is already bleeding travel allowances for the Prof before he even makes a meaningful contribution to the company
Aka is busy look for big issue leaving his workers struggling SORT OUT FIRST THE THREE MONTHS SALARIES which is so urgent ,fuel shortage and leave PROF to plan for the better future of ZR .
whatever it is
If the rail network needs to improve in zambia. The people should change there attitude
please do not rob rail materials such a vandalism should not be tolerable. The present govt needs to take strict action against these people otherwise there is no use pumping money to improve the rail infrastructure. Mind it rail network is backbone of any countries economy. A land lock country like zambia should think from the beginning itself before privatizing it.
whatever it is
If the rail network needs to improve in zambia. The people should change there attitude
please do not rob rail materials such a vandalism should not be tolerable. The present govt needs to take strict action against these people otherwise there is no use pumping money to improve the rail infrastructure. Mind it rail network is backbone of any countries economy. A land lock country like zambia should think from the beginning itself before privatizing it.
^:)^^:)^