Find government COVID 19 information at https://sacoronavirus.co.za
Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
Africa
Domestic
Economy
Imports and Exports
People
Sea Freight

Cape Doctor welcomes new CT port manager

25 Jan 2022 - by Eugene Goddard
A familiar site, a stormy Table Bay with the mountain shrouded by inclement weather. Source: Unknown
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

From one windy city to the next, Cape Town’s new port manager is finding himself in the hot seat from the get go as Rajesh Dana settles into his post – a peer position from the one he held in Gqberha (Port Elizabeth) until recently.

Facing a slew of meetings (*) with representatives from across the freight fraternity, the Transnet executive can well and truly say that he has arrived in the Cape of Storms.

Windbound since at least yesterday, and certainly not for the first time either, delayed operations at Table Bay harbour are once again forcing the hand of lines, leading to vessels sailing past in a bid to maintain schedule integrity further down South Africa’s coastline.

Speaking to Freight News this morning, Nexlog operations director Mike Walwyn said carriers were already on tight schedules, constrained for a number of reasons, and couldn’t be blamed for bypassing Cape Town – a complaint that unfortunately has dogged the port for a number of years.

“You can’t blame them for doing that.

“The port takes too long to recover, which wasn’t always the case.”

Walwyn, who also serves as director of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff), said whereas 25 moves an hour was ideally needed to sustain a good recovery rate – “which is possible and has been done before” – the port is only managing an average of 15 moves an hour.

To make matters worse, the notoriously tempestuous Cape Doctor is as old as the history of seafaring around the Cape of Good Hope – and is unlikely to stop howling any time soon.

With no short-term solution in sight and expectations that delays will most likely recur well into the windy season, questions remain why the port seems to have lost its past ability to cope with conditions, and why berthing delays appear to have become the norm.

Walwyn puts it down to people, productivity and equipment or, as he summarises, “PPE”.

Starting with the latter, he said: “We’re short of the number of RTGs that we should have.

“The ones we do have seem to be fairly prone to breakdown, and this is probably because of maintenance and replacement.”

Neither of those two, maintenance and replacement, had been taken care of at the rate required, he emphasised.

“The productivity then flows from that. If you haven’t got enough good equipment you can’t run your port properly.”

As for people, or the lack of professional operational capability, Walwyn mentioned it had been particularly noticeable over the festive season.

“I think they (Transnet) are probably trying to bring their balance sheet liability for unpaid leave into play, so a lot of people were put on leave.

“Probably too many; and then of course there was the usual amount of absenteeism that happens over that time of year anyway.”

In fairness to Dana, Walwyn said there was a lot of trust that came with his track record.

“I’ve had a lot of dealings with him and I think there is a good chance that he could make things happen.”

Samsa investigates Algoa Bay oil spill

Africa

Anti-pollution vessels have been deployed to contain the spill along the coastline.

1 hour ago
0 Comments

DRC/Zambia crossing closed to clear congestion

Africa

Transporters asked to use alternative borders.

1 hour ago
0 Comments

Seafarers in the pound seats

International

Crew shortages drive up wages.

Today 12:00
0 Comments

Pandemic creates new billionaire every 30 hours

International

Pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors in hands of monopolies.

Today 12:00
0 Comments

First drone cargo operational licence granted

Air Freight

DRONAMICS set to operate its first routes over the Mediterranean, linking key hubs across the region.

Today 11:45
0 Comments

UK shipping sector calls for more shore power installations at ports

Sea Freight

Ships should be fined for not using shore power in future.

Today 10:30
0 Comments

Goods barometer remains flat as Ukraine war and Covid weigh on trade

COVID-19

The latest outlook scales back the earlier optimism in the barometer from February.

Today 10:30
0 Comments

Obituary: ‘People’s economist’ dies

Africa

Tributes pour in for industry giant Mike Schüssler.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Globalisation 2.0 – alarm bells ring

Economy

Word trade could be retreating into old fractures and fraternities – WTO.

Yesterday
0 Comments

High-ranker appointed to sort out Kasumbalesa

Africa

Zambia Revenue Authority is sending one of its top guys to decongest the crossing.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Durban business in ‘critical condition’ after weekend floods

Africa

Businesses have urged the government to repair roads swiftly.

Yesterday
0 Comments

World Economic Forum forecasts devastating consequences of lower economic activity

Economy

 A new WEF report highlighting the views of the world’s chief economists was released in Davos on Monday.

Yesterday
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Namibia May 2022

Border Beat

Transporters meet with Zimra and ZRA over misdeclaration racket
13 Apr 2022
Road freight delays continue on the Copperbelt corridor
11 Apr 2022
Kasumbalesa queue stretches beyond Chingola
08 Apr 2022
More

Featured Jobs

New

General Manager (Warehouse)

Lee Botti & Associates
Durban
25 May
New

KAMS Manager / Head of Key Account Managers

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
24 May
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us