Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Parliament has once again called for reviewing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Act as part of the strategies to revamp the struggling authority and enhance its operations.
The House made a proposal in its resolution after deliberating on the 2024 Report tabled in Parliament by the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Infrastructure Development, Selemani Kakoso.
According to the legislators, Tazara’s performance has been declining as years count on, with efforts to revamp it curtailed by a number of factors, including the conditions stipulated in the legislation that established it.
Some problems that face Tazara include the outdated, in some cases inoperative, infrastructure. Dilapidated tracks, bridges and buildings, a dysfunctional signalling system and insufficient rolling stock prevent Tazara from meeting market demands.
Inadequate management structures and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure and rolling stock have amplified the steady decline of Tazara’s cargo and passenger services since the 1990s.
In their deliberations, the legislators said Tazara’s decline in performance has prompted the general public, especially its customers, to lose confidence in the railway.
The MPs insisted that reviewing the law that established Tazara would pave the way for revamping the authority, including carrying out major rehabilitation of the railway and purchasing of new locomotive engines and wagons, ultimately enabling it to operate commercially.
They also asked the Tanzania government to hold talks with its Zambia’s counterpart, focusing on finding the best way to run the railway.
Presenting the report, Mr Kakoso said in November 2024, his committee received the authority’s updated performance report that indicated that Tazara was indeed struggling.
He pointed out that, apart from failure to carry out major rehabilitation of the railway and its supporting infrastructure, Tazara is operating with only nine locomotive engines while the actual demand is 26.
It also has only 783 wagons in its fleet while the actual demand stands at 1,000.
Furthermore, he said, Tazara now grapples with a debt amounting 165 million US dollars, including a statutory debt and the money claimed by suppliers.
Mr Kakoso reminded the government on the importance of the railway, saying Tazara is still crucial for the economic growth of the southern African countries.
Giving an example, he said projections indicate that, by 2030, copper production in Zambia will reach 3 million tonnes while in DR Congo the production of the mineral will reach 7 million tonnes.
The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) was established by the TAZARA Act of 1975, which was later amended and replaced by the TAZARA Act of 1995.
The current objective of TAZARA is to be the most efficient, self-sustained and customer focused transporter in the sub-region and satisfy customer needs through the provision of a safe, quality and cost-effective transport service.
However, given the challenges it is facing, meeting the objectives remains a farfetched dream. In recent years, political will to refurbish the Freedom Railway, not least to reduce the expensive wear and tear on roads, has grown.
However, tight public finances have prevented a major recapitalisation. In August 2022, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema made his first visit as head of state to Tanzania.
After meetings with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, they announced that the two governments had agreed to rehabilitate Tazara.
They sought to upgrade its tracks from Cape gauge (1,067mm) to standard gauge (1,435mm) through a public-private partnership.
About half a century ago, Tazara stood out as a crucial symbol of Africa’s struggle for independence.
The 1,860km-long railway connects Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia with Dar es Salaam
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