Zimpapers Logo

Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
THE National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has expressed worry after suicides at railway lines for the first half of this year increased by 45 percent compared to the same period last year.

Official statistics show that 16 people were run over by trains after lying on railway lines from January to June 2018. More train suicides were reported from June to August, which were most likely not captured.

Last year, during the same period, 11 people were reported to have committed railway suicides. From January 2010 to July 2015, 87 people died in cases of railway suicides. During the same period, 114 people died while 552 were injured in level crossing accidents involving trains and cars.

NRZ public relations manager Mr Nyasha Maravanyika said the public should desist from using railway lines and train as their death spots. “The public is now using our tracks as a suicidal platform. They go to areas where there are no signals, where there are curves and they throw themselves into the moving train. It’s very sad to lose lives,” added Mr Maravanyika. “Imagine the pain that a family is left with after collecting dismembered and shredded remains of their loved ones. It is traumatic,” said Mr Maravanyika.

NRZ safety and environment manager Mr Elimon Mukozho in an interview said the statistics boggled his mind as he was responsible for safety. “The statistics are quite worrying and it shows that we are having a crisis as a nation. People must not resort to suicide, but should rather seek help from relevant authorities who can assist,” he said.

Recently, Mr Maravanyika said various campaigns were underway to make people aware of safe conduct around railway lines and trains.

“The NRZ is also carrying out various campaigns that make people aware of the rail road level crossing signage,” he said.

He said the campaign also focuses on dissuading the public from vandalising rail infrastructure and undertaking gold panning along railway lines, as this had a vast impact on the lifespan of railway tracks. Mr Maravanyika said the public needed to have a sense of community ownership and to bear in mind that railway infrastructure belongs to the State and that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect it.

“Our lines have always been functioning, they have boom gates and lights, but there are incidents where drivers don’t pay heed to the rail line level crossing signage,” he said. He said because of the vandalism that was taking place, the stealing of copper wires, of motors on the rails and signal equipment, the NRZ was no longer running electric trains.

@andile_tshuma