China pledged Thursday in Dar es Salaam that it will continue its financial and technical support within its capability to the continuous development of the 1,860- kilometer-long Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TZR) built by the Chinese government in an aid grant in 1970s.
Signing an agreement and a protocol between China, Tanzania and Zambia at the headquarters of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), a visiting senior Chinese official said that his government will supply an amount of hard currency for a three- year technical cooperation on TZR.
He Xiaowei, China's assistant minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, said at a ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the TAZARA operations that the money will go towards purchase of essential spare parts for the trains and maintenance of the wagons.
The decision was revealed at the end of the 11th tripartite meeting between the governments of China, Tanzania and Zambia on the TAZARA, which was attended by the Chinese assistant minister, Tanzanian Minister for Communications and Transport Mark Mwandosya, and his Zambian counterpart Augustine Mwape.
According to the two tripartite documents, China will also assign a group of 15 experts to advise on the railway management in a three-year term beginning in January 2002.
Since the hand-over of the railway, which was mainly built by Chinese workers under hard circumstances from 1970 to 1975, to Tanzania and Zambia on July 14, 1976, the Chinese government and the two governments have undertaken 10 terms of technical cooperation.
"China will as always provide necessary assistance and support to this great 'Steel Road' cemented with sweat and blood and symbolizing brotherly friendship of the three peoples," He said.
On the future of the TAZARA, probably adopting a privatization solution, the assistant minister stated that China would like to join Tanzania and Zambia in exploring the feasible ways for the healthy development of the TAZARA.
"However, China will respect the final choice to be made by the two governments," he added.
Stressing the importance of the TAZARA, He said that the railway has played an important role in smashing the economic blockade of Zambia by the ex-Southern Rhodesia racism.
"The railway has proved itself to be the symbol for supporting the liberation movements in Southern Africa and promoting national economy and defending independence of Tanzania and Zambia and their neighborhood countries," he said.
The railway links the Indian Ocean port city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and its terminal of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.
Over the 25 years, the TAZARA has moved a total of 22 million tons of freight and transported 35 million people in terms of trips contributing positively to the economies of the two countries as well as others in the Southern Africa.
Speaking on the same occasion, Tanzanian minister Mwandosya said the unsatisfactory traffic performance of the TAZARA has resulted in a precarious financial situation leading to, among other things, the authority's inability to rehabilitate and maintain its equipment and infrastructure.
"This in turn has eroded customer confidence in the operations of the TAZARA despite a ready market being available," he said, adding that there is a need to recapitalize the TAZARA and turn it into a profitable venture.
The minister thanked the Chinese government for appointing the Shanghai Railway Administration to recently carry out a feasibility study of TAZARA operations before a final position is made.
Chief Minister of Tanzania's semi-autonomous Zanzibar Shamsi Vuai Nahodha said that the TAZARA should now change its focus from political liberation to economic emancipation.
He challenged the TAZARA workers and managers to inculcate the culture of working tirelessly in order to survive, warning that laxity will make them perish.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/20/2001)
