HARARE – Parliamentarians on Tuesday made impassioned pleas for major infrastructure development, linking new railway lines and road projects directly to economic revival, job creation and improved service delivery for citizens.

Pax Muringazuva, the legislator for Hurungwe North strongly supported the proposed Kafue-Lion’s Den railway line, a 311km corridor of which 160km will cut through his constituency.

“This is not just a railway. This is a corridor of opportunity for the whole nation and Mashonaland West, particularly Hurungwe North constituencies,” he said. “This is the President’s vision coming to life before our eyes.”

He argued the railway would be a game-changer for farmers by drastically reducing transport costs. “Sending a bale of tobacco from Karoi to Harare costs about $20. With this rail, if we were to post our tobacco to Harare, it is going to cost about US$1 to US$2 per bale,” he said.

He added that a proposed mega cement plant in Magunje would also benefit, with rail haulage bringing down the cost of cement to consumers nationwide.

Zivai Mhetu, who is representing Epworth North constituency in parliament lamented the absence of the Delport Road project from the President’s list of roadworks, describing it as a critical national decongestion project.

“A driver coming from Mutare and heading to the airport or towards Chitungwiza would have an alternative not to cross the Central Business District,” he said. “Completing Delport Road is not a local project. It is a national decongestion project.”

He urged the Minister of Transport, Felix Mhona to include it in the Fourth Session targets. “We cannot celebrate Mabvuku Interchange while ignoring the Eastern Gateway that feeds it,” he said.

Mhetu also called for the revival of intercity passenger trains under BOT arrangements, proposing routes connecting Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Gweru and Harare, as well as Harare, Mutare, Masvingo and Beitbridge.

“A train from Harare to Bulawayo that is safe, on time and affordable would take hundreds of buses and kombis off our highways, save lives, save fuel and restore dignity to our travel,” he said.

In a separate contribution, Vungu constituency legislator, Brown Ndlovu commended the Presidential Title Deed Programme as a landmark intervention.

“For many households, a title deed brings security of tenure, peace of mind that the home they built belongs to them and access to credit for small businesses,” he said, suggesting mobile registration desks be deployed and that special attention be given to protecting the property rights of widows and orphans.

On road safety, he welcomed the Road Safety Fund Bill and urged that it pay for emergency treatment immediately. “A two-minute tyre check is cheaper than a funeral,” he said, calling on the Vehicle Inspection Department to prioritise tyre conditions, especially for buses and kombis, ahead of the hot season.

Zimbabwe’s railway network, once the backbone of freight and passenger transport in the region, has deteriorated over decades, forcing heavy cargo onto roads not designed for such loads.

The government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Zambia for a Kafue-Lion’s Den railway and is rehabilitating the 614km Chikwalakwala-Plumtree line under a tripartite agreement with Zambia and Botswana.

In urban areas, congestion in Harare’s central business district has worsened, while the Presidential Title Deed Programme aims to give ordinary families security of tenure.