All quiet on the western front É congestion group disbanded as situation in Cape Town harbour returns to normal Ray Smuts CAPE TOWN'S four-month container congestion nightmare is under control for the moment and the province's exporters are R37 million a month 'in pocket'. That is what they would have coughed up had the shipping lines gone ahead and imposed a surcharge. Significantly, the port congestion group formed in late March to come to grips with the grim scenario of 70-hour delays at times, has disbanded and left monitoring of the onward situation in the hands of the Port Liaison Forum. South African Port Operations (Sapo) has reacted positively to recommendations by the working group and implemented a number of measures that include wiser stacking, increased manpower, a capital request for more equipment - some leased for the time being - and the relocation of Nad Govender from Durban as general manager operations for Cape Town and Saldanha. Albert Schuitmaker, executive director of the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry and sole spokesman for the congestion group, says the Govender move is again tantamount to a realisation by Sapo that action is required and that management and direct supervision has to be strengthened at local level, an issue identified by the congestion group. To page 12 From page 1 "In the beginning, Sapo showed a willingness to be involved in dealing with the problem but there was very little action. Then all of a sudden they got into gear and started putting deeds to words and making firm commitments." Schuitmaker is convinced it is in the interest of all to work together if further crises are to be averted - the fruit season gets underway again in November - and it is his belief that if the situation is to remain "fluid' it cannot be done by Sapo alone. As to the saving of some R37 million a month for Cape exporters now that a surcharge has been averted, Schuitmaker says: "The lines were threatening a $75 per container surcharge and if we take congestion as having lasted for four months that's a lot of of money, so the saving to the Western Cape economy is enormous." l As dusk fell on Sunday night (June 22) this correspondent was treated to a rare sight, only one container ship at anchor in Table Bay.
