Cape forwarders threaten ‘divorce’

Dissatisfaction over running of national SAAFF body ALAN PEAT THERE HAVE been serious complaints about the national forwarders’ body emanating from the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) members in the Western Cape - with a possible divorce just round the corner. In a communication with all the MDs and branch and operations managers of all the full members of the association, the chairman and executive committee of SAAFF: Western Cape has asked for a mandate to decide if the Western Cape should continue to be an ordinary member of SAAFF. And, if resignation is decided on, a mandate has also been requested to revert to the name of The Cape Town Association of Freight Forwarders. Also to attend to the restructuring of the association’s secretariat - and to table a plan of the restructuring and budget at the annual general meeting in 2005. The reason, according to the executive committee, is utter dissatisfaction with the way the national association has been run for a number of years. “For some years now,” said the communication to members, “the executive committee has been frustrated by the lack of service delivery from SAAFF national. “Some examples include - a belated reaction to the Section 99 Amendments, Black Economic Empowerment, the FAIS Act, industry training, an unwillingness to take up regional matters at a national level when national intervention is called for and lack of response to specific emails/requests for information and/or assistance.” These problems were compounded by a further complaint. Complete disregard, it is alleged, has been shown by the national executive for the SAAFF constitution - which details procedures and protocol that should be followed. Most important of these is the scheduling of national executive meetings and the annual conference. Only one executive meeting has been held this year, according to the Cape memo, and the conference is now five months overdue - effectively removing this region’s ability to table its concerns at a national forum, or to nominate new leadership for election. Also, over the years members have questioned the value that they receive for their national subscriptions and a few have resigned from the association altogether rather than be forced to pay national as well as local subscriptions. While it feels that the national association has been in decline for some years now, the Western Cape association feels it has performed admirably. “The executive committee,” they added, “has wrestled with the unsatisfactory arrangement for some time now and this has resulted in a vote of no confidence in the national association.” The special general meeting to decide the issue is to be held in Cape Town on November 24.