NRZ board chairman fired

The chairman of the National Railways of Zimbabwe board Alvord Mabena, who is a former general manager of the ailing parastatal, has been fired.

According to The Chronicle Mabena was fired on Friday after only 17 months in office. His term was due to expire in 2017.

The paper said Mabena was fired by new Transport Minister Joram Gumbo through a letter dated 5 November which read: “As you may be aware, the ministry has been re-aligning its strategic vision with that of parastatals and state institutions. To that end it has become necessary that I terminate your term of office as chairman of NRZ with immediate effect.”

Mabena said he was surprised and disappointed by the firing because he was working with a passion to revive the NRZ, once the biggest employer in Bulawayo.

“I’m disappointed because of these stop-start things. Naturally, I’ve been working with a passion and putting a lot of effort in trying to revive the NRZ. I worked hard not only to serve the NRZ but the nation,” he told The Chronicle.

Sources within the NRZ said Mabena was the last NRZ general manager to capacitate the NRZ.

The NRZ has had no substantive general manager for more than two years. Gumbo ordered the NRZ to readvertise the post barely a month after coming into office when the board had already shortlisted candidates.

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