Acknowledging ongoing challenges being experienced at the Port of Cape Town, port manager Mpumi Dweba Kwetana has committed to finding solutions as quickly as possible. Addressing the Exporters’ Club Western Cape (ECWC) last week, Kwetana said vessel delays, truck congestion and overall port efficiency and cost were a concern, as was the ongoing go-slow at several Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) ports. Exporters and logistics service providers attending the event said the labour action was exacerbating the situation and it was time TNPA stepped up, stopped talking and moved to action. “We have heard enough about strategy,” said one exporter. “It is time that we now stop talking about what strategy we are putting in place and how it will impact business, and move towards actually doing something.” Kwetana said she understood the frustration and said work was in progress to address some of the major challenges being experienced at the port. “We are currently in the process of refining and finalising our strategy which will alter the course and reposition the Port of Cape Town.” Central to this strategy, she said, was introducing a plan of continuity so that if TNPA management changed at the port, this would not bring about major disruption or a change of strategy. “Our position is very clear,” said Kwetana. “We want to position the Port of Cape Town as a hub that services the customer from end to end. That means that no matter who you speak to at the port they can assist. Our goal is to develop a system where you don’t have to move from person to person or office to office for different activities but to have that end-to-end service immediately.” She said they were in discussion with the ship repair industry as this was an area that the port would be developing significantly in future. Acknowledging the high cost of doing business and the concerns over inefficiency, Kwetana said TNPA was working to strengthen its oversight function not just in the container space but also for breakbulk, liquid and dry bulk to improve efficiency and reduce costs. “We realise that the delays in our waters when vessels are not berthed on time or even when they have berthed and are not given enough resources to turn around quickly are costly. We realise that we are destroying value and so we have to aggressively alter the course so that doing business in the Port of Cape Town is adding value.”
We want to position the Port of Cape Town as a hub that services the customer from end to end. – Mpumi Dweba Kwetana
