Operating a Railway System within a Challenging Environment: Experiences of National Railways of Zimbabwe
Date: Wed. Feb. 21
Place: Dunstan Hall Rm 202
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Charles Mbohwa
Visting Fulbright Scholar,
Georgia Institute of Technology
Biography
Charles Mbohwa is a senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe. He is currently a Fulbright Scholar visiting The Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, to create a new masters course in Supply Chain Management and to research on the adaptation of electronic supply chain systems to less industrialized countries. Dr. Charles Mbohwa graduated with a B. Sc. Honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe in 1986 and then worked for 5 years as a mechanical engineer/operations manager for the National Railways of Zimbabwe. He then completed a Masters in Operations Management and Manufacturing Systems from the University of Nottingham in 1991 after which he joined the University of Zimbabwe as a lecturer. He studied for his PhD at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology in Japan from 2001 to 2004. He teaches Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management at undergraduate levels and Logistics and Marketing Management and Production and Inventory Management at graduate levels. His research activities are in logistics, life cycle assessment and bio-energy/fuel. He has general research interests in renewable energies and sustainability issues. He has published more than 30 papers in these areas.
Abstract
Operating a Railway System within a Challenging Environment: Experiences of National Railways of Zimbabwe
The paper presents a historical background to the development of the railways in Zimbabwe and discusses its current state. Besides being a landlocked country in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe has since 2000 been saddled with socio-economic and political challenges which have seen a decline in all economic indices posing some challenges to its railways. The presentation discusses the challenges faced by the railways as a result of high inflation, unstable currency exchange rate, brain drain, poor management, government interference in management, customs border delays, and energy shortage. The problems have been addressed in very unique ways and unusual solutions proposed. These have included customer financing for maintenance and spares and resuscitation of steam locomotives. More solutions are proposed requiring restoration of good governance and economic recovery. The presented lessons and issues from this experience contribute to discussions and study of railway logistics in challenging environments. Finally, current and future research issues, which have a global appeal, are presented.
