Jack Zimba

A girl walks home from school in Kapiri Mposhi. Picture by Jack Zimba THE iconic picture taken of the iconic train back in the 1970s. PICTURE: WORLD AFFAIRS PRESS   Which way TAZARA?   JACK ZIMBA   W HEN it was constructed four decades ago, it was the crown jewel of Africa that epitomised the resilience, friendship and ingenuity of three nations – China, Tanzania and Zambia. The Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA), which is owned by Tanzania and Zambia on a 50-50 shareholding basis, was built with a Chinese loan in the 1970s. It connects Zambia to the seaport of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and also provides road and railway inter-connectivity to other parts of southern Africa, and is a vital link for the three regional groupings of SADC, COMESA and the East African Community. But 43 years down the line, this train has clearly run out of steam, its operations bogged down by a myriad of challenges, including a bad track and locomotives th...

  The Tazara passes through some remarkable landscapes. PICTURES BY JACK ZIMBA Anastasia enjoying the train ride.   Two rail systems, three trains, two countries, 2,700km of rail and one epic journey. Our reporter Jack Zimba travels by train from Dar es Salaam to Mulobezi and shares his experience and insight into the railway business. Ardio Mbewe is a veteran at driving locomotives. 'Malama', the little American boy sticks his head out the window.   From Dar to Mulobezi by rail JACK ZIMBA   TUESDAY, February 12   It is 13:33 hours, and I only have seven minutes to get to the train station and catch my train to Zambia. If I miss it, I will have to wait until Friday to get on the next one. So I rush out of a Western Union office in Kariakoo, a bustling market place in the middle of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, clutching a small wad of shillings and jump on the nearest motorbike I find. I do not have to explain to...