Eswatini Railways Chief Executive Officer, Nixon Dlamini, has been elected as the new President of the Southern African Railways Association.
Dlamini previously served as SARA’s Vice President, succeeding Hishaam Emeran, the Group CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), who held the presidency in the past year. The announcement occurred at the Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane earlier today.
In his remarks, Dlamini expressed gratitude for his election and stated the commitment to enhance the association’s visibility.
“We have a mandate as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to ensure that there is a seamless movement of goods and passengers. We also believe in the revitalization of our brand. We believe, as SARA, that our visibility should be more pronounced, from the north of Africa down to the south,” Dlamini noted.
The newly elected President further mentioned that the lack of visibility prevents key stakeholders, such as the government, from fully recognizing the importance of rail.
When asked about the main challenges they may face while in office, the CEO mentioned that the rail sector struggles significantly with a lack of funding, which is a global issue.
“It’s a known phenomenon that governments all over the world are struggling financially, which means our sector tends to struggle in terms of resources. This means we then have to come up with innovative ways of ensuring that we operate optimally with our limited resources.”
Dlamini added that the sector also faces a skills shortage, necessitating significant upskilling efforts.
Ms. Chelesile Malele, Acting GM of Botswana Railways, represented by Mr. A. Sefawe of Botswana Railways, was also elected as Vice President. Both will serve in these roles for a two-year term.