Tanzania, Zambia and China on July 7, 2026 honoured TAZARA workers who died during construction, renewing pledges to revive the iconic railway at its 50th anniversary.

Speaking during a memorial ceremony at the Chinese Experts Cemetery in Dar es Salaam, leaders from the three countries said the sacrifices made by Chinese, Tanzanian and Zambian workers laid the foundation for a railway that continues to unite the region and drive economic development.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian, said the ceremony was an opportunity to honour those who died during the construction of the railway while renewing commitment to preserving the "TAZARA spirit" of friendship, equality, perseverance and international cooperation.

She said more than 50,000 Chinese experts and workers travelled thousands of kilometres to Tanzania and Zambia in the early 1970s, at the request of the two governments, to build the 1,860-kilometre railway linking the Port of Dar es Salaam with Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.

According to the ambassador, 70 Chinese engineers, technicians and workers died during the project and were buried at the Chinese Experts Cemetery in Dar es Salaam.

"They are heroes who built a monument to China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship and will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese and Tanzanian people," she said.

Chen recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the cemetery during his first overseas trip after assuming office in 2013, calling on both countries to preserve the railway as a symbol of the enduring friendship between China and Africa.

She said China and Tanzania had continued expanding cooperation beyond infrastructure, noting that China has remained Tanzania's largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years, with bilateral trade exceeding US$10 billion for the first time last year.

The ambassador also highlighted the TAZARA revitalisation project launched last November by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Tanzania's Vice-President Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, saying the initiative would modernise the railway and unlock new opportunities for regional trade and economic growth.

Zambia's High Commissioner to Tanzania, Mathews Jere, described TAZARA as a symbol of African solidarity, saying it provided Zambia with a crucial gateway to the sea during the country's early years after independence.

"Their sacrifice was not in vain. Every train that has travelled this railway over the past 50 years has carried forward the legacy they left behind," he said.

TAZARA Managing Director Bruno Ching'andu said the railway was more than transport infrastructure, describing it as a monument to courage, determination and shared purpose.

"The greatest tribute we can pay is to ensure that the railway they built continues to serve the people for whom it was intended," he said, urging continued support for the railway's ongoing modernisation.

The memorial ceremony formed part of events marking the 50th anniversary of TAZARA's commercial operations, which began on July 14, 1976. 

Five decades later, the railway remains a powerful symbol of regional integration and the enduring partnership between Tanzania, Zambia and China.