Zambia Railways Limited says it has in the last 24 hours, suspended train operations between Livingstone and Victoria Falls Town on the Zimbabwean side following a theft of 647 Pandrol Clips by unknown people.
Zambia Railways Manager Southern Region Joel Chilufya who confirmed the incidence says the running of trains between Zambia and Zimbabwe was temporarily suspended as the track had been rendered risky for train operations.
Mr Chilufya said the theft was discovered around 10 hours on Thursday by one of the Zambia Railways workers on patrol and immediately reported to both Zambia Railways and State Police
Among the goods affected by the temporal closure of the line were 35 wagons of copper concentrates destined for South Africa as well as 26 wagons of wheat destined for Lusaka.
“I must mention that this is the first time we have experienced theft of such magnitude on this particular line. It has largely been quite and secure compared to other sections of the main line. We treat theft of vital rail components as sabotage and culprits have to face the full force of the law” said Mr Chilufya.
Statistics from the ZRL Police Unit indicate that the company records cases of theft or vandalism of key railway components on a weekly basis, thereby hampering the smooth operations of the company.
Zambia Railways infrastructure is treated as a national asset and is protected by the Amended Railway Act of 1984. Those convicted of rail crimes such as theft of Pandrol clips and fish plates are considered saboteurs and face up to 21 years in prison, under the law.
Meanwhile Zambia Railways has assured its customers as well as members of the general public that its Emergency Response Team is already on the ground and normal operations were expected to be restored within 24 hours.
Zambia Railways wishes to make a strong and passionate appeal to members of the public to help protect vital railway infrastructure by reporting suspects to the nearest Zambia Railways offices or any security enforcement wings.
In the meantime, ZRL will continue to engage members of the community spread along the length and breadth of its railway network (that stretches from Mulobezi in Western Province to Chililabombwe on the Copperbelt) through meetings, Public Address announcements, radio programmes and other information dissemination platforms, in order to find a common and lasting solution to rail crimes.
This is according to a statement issued by Caristo Chitamfya, the Zambia Railways Limited Public Relations Manager.
Tribalist country. It is the same names from the same regions in all government and parastatal organizations.
Tribal country. Same names from same regions in all government and parastatal institutions.
This must be issues of sabotage due to mismanagement of resources by leadership of the country.
A well fed nation can’t resort to such retrogressive acts.
PF must go!
Put security cameras please
@Raph! are you for real, or its because you have been away for a long time. its a joke of the year, we all know that they like taking selfies in the rail line but.. dont you know that we have an opposite political party in zambia that oppose every move that the government make, yes you heard me right its not an opposition party but an opposite. just like the 7th day adventists ….. right is left when they are facing the north and it becomes left when the are facing the east.
The perpetrators must be charged with attempted murder as well as theft.
It’s not a coincidence that such damage tends to always happen in the upnd stronghold areas. Devils
Who said it was Zambians, its a known fact that alot of other non related railroad thief’s are done buy Zimbabweans in Livingstone, after all these railway metal would be sold to a scrap metal dealer and no local Zambian company would want to touch it but on the Zim side it could easy be sold and melted down, also in Zim US $ are used. and if you are caught you have not anything wrong in Zim.
Just go to Chitotela’s and Chilufya’s houses.
You will find the stolen goods.
What are pandrol clips?
Modern age technology is used to track trucks from SA to Dar while ZR is still wallowing with stone age security systems?