The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says a brick wall recently seen in a viral image built across a railway line in Harare is not obstructing an operational track.

Social media was abuzz over the weekend after an image circulated showing a perimeter wall seemingly constructed directly over a railway line in Harare's Willowvale industrial area, prompting questions about public safety, infrastructure management and urban planning.

In a statement, the NRZ said the line in question is a disused, privately-owned siding that once served a now-defunct factory.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

"The NRZ went on a fact-finding mission and established that the structure in question was built on top of a disused, privately-owned siding leading to a now defunct factory which is currently being demolished," the state-run railway operator said.

According to the NRZ, the property located at 44 Tilbury Road was acquired last year by a Chinese-owned company.

The new owners erected the wall to secure the premises from theft, the statement said.

"Our team managed to speak to a director at the company identified as Ms Li, who said they built the security wall to prevent thieves from accessing their newly acquired property," the railway authority said.

The NRZ said such sidings are not part of the main public railway infrastructure and fall under the purview of the private companies that use them.

"These sidings are owned by private companies that require goods to be railed to their premises from our yards. Effectively, the NRZ does not have any mandate over the disused line but understands that the City of Harare is looking into the matter," NRZ said

Social media users have questioned how such a wall could have been built without scrutiny or coordination from municipal authorities.