Chinese Investor Builds Durawall Across Railway Line In Harare

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says a wall built across a railway line in Harare’s Willowvale industrial area is on a line that’s no longer in use.

The wall, which sparked a wave of reactions on social media over the weekend, was built by a Chinese national only identified as Ms Li. 

Images of the structure quickly went viral, prompting questions about whether railway infrastructure was being illegally blocked.

In a statement issued on Monday, 19 May, the NRZ asserted that the wall wasn’t put up on an active line, but rather on a disused, privately-owned siding. Reads the statement:

Over the past weekend, the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) was inundated with inquiries regarding a security wall built on a railway line, whose pictures went viral on social media. We hereby wish to set the record straight and lay the facts bare.

The NRZ went on a fact-finding mission and established that the structure in question was built on top of a disused, privately-owned siding leading to a now defunct factory which is currently being demolished after the property was bought by a Chinese-owned company last year. These sidings are owned by private Companies that require goods to be railed to their premises from our yards.

The wall was built to secure the property located on 44 Tilbury Rd in the Willowvale industrial area of Harare. Our team managed to speak to a director at the company identified as Ms Li, who said they built the security wall to prevent thieves from accessing their newly acquired property. 

So, effectively, the NRZ does not have any mandate over the disused line but understands that the City of Harare is looking into the matter.

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27 comments on “Chinese Investor Builds Durawall Across Railway Line In Harare

    1. Durawall out of things very soon Chinese will own Zimbabwean shame Mugabe was better when he reserved all this minerals and will be come Like DRC, this government is a joke the leadership of a black person is makaka

  1. Is it not that the railway tracks in the picture is NRZ property? Can not they be used somewhere else than leaving them under the durawall?

    1. I remember case in Mberengwa there were a lot of these steel laying idle for many years n villagers started to take these for domestic use, which backfired to them n they were spared jail by their member of parliament. But am shocked here to learn this different application of law

  2. Pasi nezanu Nevese vanoida uye vari mairi pasi navo & we prefer white people in zim for investments not Chinese

    1. Even White people are not good, this investor thing is a day light robbery to us citizens. The law must be there to protect public interest not individuals

    2. Still want to be slaves to white. HOW about selfreliance like Ibrahim traore.U are a disgrace pinning after men who don’t even like u.

  3. We need to be self reliable as Africans no one is above the law these Chinese must demolish their structure on our railway line,our city council must take action on this we see most residents are facing problems with this kind of act to build on a wrong places why don’t you do the same to these Chinese and we must stop to call them investors all what we need is good governance and start to build our own country not some one to do it for us they are here to destroy our nature

    1. Other countries in Africa like south Africa they are busy integrating on their railway lines,improving their mode of mobility and yet our country is busy selling our railway lines to Chinese,when are we going to break off from these shackles, started with white shackles and now again in Chinese shackles.

  4. The issue discredits our government, why not remove the railway. On the other hand infrastructures should be protected. Is it that when a company feels like putting a road or rail anywhere it becomes theirs, so why does zesa and council tell us the metres we buy and sometimes poles and the wires we buy automatally become zesa or Council property.

  5. Nothing will be done .but daitiriisu vana vevhu l mean Zimbabwean .early demolition will be on the way,stories in the newspapers .illegal structures,wet land places etc …Gudzvinyirirana pahukama

  6. Same issue as the chinese mine that destroyed hospital infrastructure and was fined a measly $350.
    This shows who owns Zimbabwe now

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