Tazara Railway Construction

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TAZARA RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION
TAZARA railway is an East African railway that was constructed to connect Dar es Salaam Port and Kapiri Mposhi Zambia. It is 1860 km and was constructed from 1970 to 1975 by China with a US $406 million cost. During this period, China was looking for diplomatic back up from developing countries to fight the US as well as the Soviet Union. And together Zambia and Tanzania’s governments, China constructed the railway to remove Zambia’s reliance on South Africa and Rhodesia and South Africa. It offered an only rout for trading from Copperbelt directly to the sea. Though the construction faced several difficulties at the beginning, it received support from the US, European nations and China until it was finished and brought along with it significant changes in the region.
In Tanzania and Zambia, the building of the railway brought significant changes. Firstly, the Chinese imparted technical skills as well as the values of brotherly solidarity, hard work, self-discipline and simplicity to the African workers (Monson 37). The survey team insisted on team work for the project to finish on schedule. Practicing disciplined work behaviors allowed them to finish the work on time and thereby cultivate self-reliance and build self-esteem. Brotherly solidarity was promoted as the workers constructed the railway side by side. The groups were not allowed to exploit each other (Monson 49).
Secondly, the construction of the railway expanded modernity (Monson 67). Numerous African got their fast chance to get wages and benefits thereby enabling them to support their families (Monson 49). The rural villages along the railway were modernized as the strangers came with new ways of work into places that were isol...