Terry Hutson ONCE AGAIN the port of Durban was closed to incoming vessels on Sunday night (October 13) because of high swells and wind, resulting in a loss of about 12 hours at the container terminal, which is already under strain trying to catch up with the delays resulting from the two-day strike on October1 and 2. When the port reopened early this morning (Monday October 14), only a single ship remained on berth, meaning that seven vessels had to be berthed before work could begin. Seasoned port observers admit they cannot remember when last the port was closed as frequently. What is frustrating the container terminal operators is that prior to the closure productivity had been high with about 3 500 TEUs a day being worked.
