OUTSPOKEN Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson Jabulani Sibanda has said there is a need to ban road transportation of coal to protect and save the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
Speaking during the Children of Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association inter-district meeting recently, Sibanda said haulage trucks must be banned from transporting coal from Hwange Colliery Company Limited, calling for tougher laws to protect NRZ and the country’s roads.
“We want to ensure that there must be laws that protect NRZ, that no transporting of coal from Hwange by road. By that, we will be protecting the roads and also redirecting NRZ to employ more people," he said.
"Not only that, just drive along roads, you will see many donkeys and cows that have been run down by trucks. We want to protect the people's wealth."
With the NRZ operating at a fraction of its capacity, businesses have been forced to rely on road transport, which is more expensive.
Moving minerals, grain, or fertilisers by rail is up to 80% cheaper than by road, yet most companies have no choice but to use trucks due to NRZ’s inefficiencies.
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