Zanu PF says its promise of modern trains will come to pass but they are first working on the supporting infrastructure.
The party promised to introduce modern trains in Zimbabwe in its 2018 election manifesto.
However, its almost three years after the elections were held, but the country is still using old trains. This has made life difficult for the already struggling National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
Modern trains were expected to make NRZ efficient, reduce pressure on the roads as well as easy public transport challenges.
Experts allege that the country’s roads easily wear out because of the amount of haulage they sustain.
The railway is also regarded as a cheaper mode of transporting goods from one place to another.
Most manufacturers prefer railway because it reduces the cost of transporting goods and leaves them with better profits.
When Zanu PF made the promise of modern trains, manufacturers welcomed the promise but up to now, nothing has happened.
When are the modern trains coming?
In an interview on Tuesday-Talk, Zanu PF director of Information Tafadzwa Mugwadi said the party takes seriously its promises to the people, adding that trains are coming but they are working on the infrastructure first.
“When it comes to the railways that were talking about, I am sure you know when we made that promise it was not that it was unachievable. It is still very much achievable and we reiterate that manifesto position.
“But the thing is you don’t need to then go and say because we promised people modern trains or modern railways then we say let’s go and buy the locomotives when we have not modernised the railway lines.
“So what is to start is rehabilitating and upgrading the railway infrastructure itself so that it becomes usable and can then be used by modern trains or locomotives that we would have acquired, he said.
We used the same system for Zupco
According to Mugwadi, they used the same system when they intended to revive Zupco.
He said they had to fix the road infrastructure across the country first before they could buy buses.
“So this is what starts and that is why just like you know we said we were going to revamp the public transport system to ensure we revive Zupco and then deal with the challenge of public transport.
“We now have so many Zupcos. The President acquired so many of them through his government and the minister of transport. We then said before we had to import those good ones we needed to adjust our road network.
“This was to ensure that our road system speaks to the modern buses that we are acquiring. Now who will be worried to have their buses plying the Harare-Masvingo route, they will just be cruising.
“So what I am trying to say is that the first thing to do is to build, upgrade and modernise infrastructure. The infrastructure that is used by these buses and these trains or locomotives.
“Once we do that we can now go to the next stage. We have a responsible government and a party that is taking its promises to the people seriously.
“And is not going to leave any stone unturned in terms of fulfilling our promise and contracts with the people of Zimbabwe courtesy of 2018 elections,” he said. Get more Covid-19 Stats fro CovidZW.info
