The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has announced the departure of its General Manager, Respina Zinyanduko, effective 31 January 2025.
Zinyanduko, the first woman to hold the post, was appointed to the position in 2021.
โThe Board of Directors of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) wishes to inform members of the public that Ms. Respina Zinyanduko has ceased to be the General Manager of the NRZ with effect from 31 January 2025. This has been necessitated by the need to realign and restructure the NRZ business in line with the expectation of the shareholder,โ said NRZ Board chairman Mike Madiro in a statement.
Mrs Ainah Dube-Kaguru has been appointed as the Acting General Manager until a permanent replacement is found.
This leadership change comes as NRZ faces significant operational hurdles. Recently, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) disconnected electricity to NRZโs Southern Region dispatch area and other facilities due to unpaid debts.
The power disconnection has not only affected NRZโs operations but has also had a ripple effect on the SMEs relying on these facilities, highlighting the broader implications of the organizationโs financial and infrastructural challenges.
At its height in the late 1990s, NRZ transported 18 million tonnes of cargo annually, supported by a fleet of 600 locomotives and 3,000 passenger carriages.
As a key pillar of the economy, it provided thousands of jobs and efficient rail services across the country.
However, from 2000 onwards, NRZ went into decline, scaling down operations, discontinuing some services, and even resorting to steam engines to keep trains running.
