We have an ignorant fat Minister at Ministry of Transport, who is failing to read, write and monitor his tasks in the name of Hon. Yamfwa Mukanga. This is a minister who, when he was at Works Ministry, even failed to monitor works on a grave site, located 300metres from his office, what more TAZARA, which stretches 1,860kilometres in track length?. On this score, my hardworking beloved President Michael Chilufya Sata, over two months ago, publicly blasted Mukanga for lack of progress of a grave site for former president, Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba’s mausoleum at the embassy park. In furry, Mukanga mobilized cameras and went to bully the contractors at site, talking about lack of protective wear by the contractor’s employees. Mukanga, who has gone into lapse again, possibly taking advantage that President Sata has not been seen in public light for the last three weeks, does not even know that TAZARA JV is coming to an end, hence even TAZARA employees have not been paid their monthly dues. This minister and his Permanent Secretary are not aware that the TAZARA Joint Venture is coming to an end on 1st August, 2014. This Joint Venture, which got a 30 year interest free loan from China, should have ended in 1997 but delayed repayments pushed this JV to 17 years later, being this year. Tanzanian Minister of Transport Harrison Mwakyembe said the joint venture through Tazara ends on August 1 this year. Dr Mwakyembe, speaking to The Guardian newspaper of Tanzania said the decision to separate the operations of Tazara was reached at the recent TAZARA Council of Ministers meeting in Lusaka. “Effective August this year, Tanzania will have its permanent leadership (Regional Manager) and not acting heads as it is now. Tanzanian government is planning on embarking on a new train route from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya without crossing the border to Zambia.” Tanzanian Minister Dr Mwakyembe said the meeting, which was also attended by financial affairs and industry ministers of the two countries, had decided that both countries should clear the salary arrears of the TAZARA staff in June. TAZARA, also known as the Uhuru Railway, is a key transporter of cargo, mostly copper and other minerals from Zambian mines to Dar es Salaam for export to overseas markets. It also transports passengers. Zambia and Tanzania recently agreed to inject US$80 million into operations of the company for working capital and to pay off salary arrears. Over 30 years ago, China committed itself to building a railway between Tanzania and Zambia, supplying an interest-free loan of RMB988 million (approx. US$500 million) to be repaid over 30 years. President Liu Shaoqi offered to assist Tanzania and Zambia in building a railway between the two countries. Chairman Mao Zedong told Nyerere, “You have difficulties as do we, but our difficulties are different. To help you build the railway, we are willing to forsake building railways for ouselves.” Chinese leaders assured Nyerere that the full ownership of the railway would be handed to Tanzania and Zambia to upon completion along with the technology and equipment for operations. At the time, China was actively seeking diplomatic support in the Third World against both the United States and the Soviet Union. Some believe that Mao originally supported the construction of the railway to secure votes against the Soviet Union at the Asia-Africa summit of Algiers of 1966. At the 1965 Commonwealth prime ministers conference, British prime minister Harold Wilson was so struck by Tanzanias pro-China attitude that he felt many of Nyereres ministers were directly in the Chinese pay. Canadian prime minister, Lester Pearson also questioned whether Nyerere should get so close to the Chinese. Nyerere later complained that Western nations opposed the Chinese plans for the railway, but did not offer him any alternative. Nyerere did not immediately accept the Chinese offer but sought to use it to induce Western backing for the railway, but none was forthcoming. Kaunda had turned down an offer to build the railway from the Chinese Embassy in Lusaka. He was more wary of Communists and wanted to maintain friendly ties with Britain, not least because Zambia and Rhodesia were joint owners of the Zambian Railway and the joint ownership agreement would penalize Zambia for diverting traffic to other railways. Southern Rhodesia’s declaration of independence changed Kaunda’s outlook. He then accepted the Chinese offer while visiting China in January 1967. On September 6, 1967, an agreement was signed in Beijing by the three nations. China committed itself to building a railway between Tanzania and Zambia, supplying an interest-free loan of RMB988 million (approx. US$500 million) to be repaid over 30 years, which should have been repaid by year 1997
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 07:50:31 +0000
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