The US$400-million Transnet/Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) Consortium deal to recapitalise the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is expected to be finalised following the swearing in of new Zimbabwean leader Emmerson Mnangagwa last Friday. NRZ chairperson, Larry Mavima, was quoted by the NewsDay publication in Zimbabwe as saying he expected the deal to be finalised within the first quarter of next year. He alleged that the agreement had been scuttled by Grace Mugabe’s G40 faction because they thought it was Mnangagwa’s project. “It was a project for Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe,” Mavima said. Recapitalisation of NRZ involves the rehabilitation and renewal of plant, equipment, rolling stock, track, signalling and telecommunication infrastructure – as well as supporting information technology systems.
