Minister: Government will soon stop paying Tazara staff

Mbeya. The deputy minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Eng Atashasta Nditiye, revealed yesterday that the government will no longer continue paying salaries of Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) employees.

Eng Nditie said the government’s decision will start immediately after it finalises paying Sh10 billion for purchasing various equipment and rehabilitation of the authority’s locomotives.

He made the revelation during his tour of Tazara’s garage as well as Kongoro industry in Mbarali district where train sleeves are produced.

Eng Nditie said the government wants the authority to manage its own affairs and called on the business community to transport their cargo via the envisaged SGR.

“I direct the security and safety committee to start investigating the people involved in vandalising rail infrastructure because these unscrupulous people also put the lives of passengers in danger,” he said.

In view of this, he called on ward and village leader to educate the people on the importance of train transport and make them aware of legal action they would face if caught vandalising the rail infrastructure.

Speaking on behalf of the Mbeya Regional Commissioner, Mr Amos Makalla, the District Commissioner, Mr William Ntinika, said as the chairman of the security and safety commission will work tirelessly to ensure that the people who vandalise the train material are taken to task.

“All those identified and apprehended will face the full force of the law and will be charged and prosecuted not as petty thieves but as organised criminals and economic saboteurs,” warned the district commissioner.