Wildlife deal sealed

INDONESIA state-owned train manufacturing company PT Industri Kereta Api (Inka) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) are in negotiations over a deal that could lead to the later buying rolling stock from the Asian country, Indonesian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Juniarta Sastrawan has said.

In an interview on the sidelines of celebrations to mark his country 74th Independence anniversary last week, Ambassador Sastrawan said officials from both companies have exchanged visits with the NRZ expressing interest in buying rolling stock from Inka.

“Officials from Inka visited Zimbabwe last month and the NRZ management team was also in Indonesia where it toured Inka’s factory and they expressed a willingness to buy our locomotives and wagons.

“We are continuing with our discussion and we hope these will result in a deal that will see us investing in the country,” he said.

He added that the company was also keen on providing training to NRZ personnel in keeping with their President’s emphasis on investment in human resource development.

“Training in human resources is very important and by doing that we would like not only to be providing logistical support, but ensuring that we cater for the whole value chain.

Ambassador Sastrawan said the need to assist Zimbabwe stems from the long standing friendship that exists between the two countries.

“We have been supporting each other for a long time and we will keep doing so in various spheres.”

— Picture: Justin Mutenda Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) director-general Fulton Mangwanya (left) and president and chief executive of the International Fund for Animal Welfare ( IFAW) Azzedine Downes exchange memorandums of agreement documents for funding of wildlife conservation in Harare yesterday.