Staff of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), whose wage payments are in arrears due to “financial constraints”, are outraged at the purchase of six “top-of-the- range” luxury cars by the directors. “The luxurious Prados,” says the Zimbabwe Financial Gazette, “cost at least $US40,000 each, bringing the total bill expended on the vehicles to $US240,000. The vehicles were allocated to the directors in charge of operations, marketing, finance, technical services and corporate services. NRZ general manager Mike Karakadzai took delivery of a Toyota Landcruiser V8, NRZ sources said.
“In the 2010 national budget, finance minister Tendai Biti allocated $US16.7 million towards resuscitating NRZ’s infrastructure but it fell far short of the $US274 million the rail transporter had earlier indicated it required for recapitalisation.” A matter of weeks ago, Karakadzai admitted NRZ was facing “total collapse”, with half its rolling stock inoperable. A report by the World Bank in 2009 recommended that two thirds of the parastatal’s lines should be decommissioned to implement an extensive rehabilitation programme.

Original article [Railways Africa]