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.
So the Chinese have come to be a Zimbabwean Government on their own terms!!!
Shame
You mean you are selling land again after 500 years you need it back or what do you mean
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?
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
Zimbabwe hr haaaaa ndeyekumama iyi
Pasi nezanu Nevese vanoida uye vari mairi pasi navo & we prefer white people in zim for investments not Chinese
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