Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) received a tongue-lashing from the Deputy Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, over lack of delivery on proposed developments at the Port of Saldanha Bay.
She was speaking during an open imbizo of the maritime economic sector (oil and gas subsector), convened to evaluate reports on TNPA’s progress with plans for a Marine Transport and Manufacturing (MTM) lab – one of five targeted for prioritisation in the revitalisation of the country’s maritime economic sector as part of Operation Phakisa.
In terms of the MTM lab recommendations, the port of Saldanha was approved by government for the establishment of a purpose-built oil and gas port infrastructure, with TNPA charged with facilitating the development, unlocking investment in new and existing port facilities around the country, and creating and implementing a public procurement and localisation programme.
Port of Saldanha manager, Willem Roux, said the oil and gas infrastructure intended for development at the west coast port represented an investment of R10 billion, including a proposed Mossgas quay extension, a general maintenance quay, a new oil and gas repair berth as well as an extension of the current iron ore berth.
However, tempers flared at times during the imbizo, according to a Samsa report, after it emerged that the facilities would most likely be ready for utilisation by 2019 rather than the scheduled 2017.
This, according to Transnet, was due in part to the need for the relocation of manganese ore from both the port of Saldanha as well as the port of Port Elizabeth to the Ngqura deep water port. This would take three years through to 2019 to complete, the parastatal reported.
Chikunga lashed out at TNPA, commenting: “The issue for me is that we do not respond quickly as South Africans, why is that? If you are saying we as the Department of Transport are appointing people who do not know what they are doing, then tell us, so that we can look into the issue!”
