President Cyril Ramaphosa says through both operational improvements and structural reforms, the Port of Durban will reclaim its place as the best-performing port in Africa.
“As part of our Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, we will continue to work tirelessly to expand infrastructure investment and transform our network industries,” President Ramaphosa said after his recent visit to the port.
In his weekly newsletter, he said if the port did not function efficiently, the entire economy suffered, from importers and exporters to consumers.
“On the other hand, if the port works well it can drive economic growth and position our country as a gateway to the region and the continent,” he said.
When he visited Durban in October 2019, many local businesses and port users raised concerns about the performance of the port.
“Shipping companies in particular expressed concern about truck congestion and waiting times, ship berthing delays and anchorage times, poor maintenance of equipment and generally low productivity in the port,” the President said.
He believes there has been good progress over the past year in turning around performance despite the impact of Covid-19.
“These efforts are already showing results in improved maintenance of equipment, reduced congestion, quicker turnaround times, and increased use of rail instead of road transport.
“Truck turnaround times have greatly improved. Similarly, the reliability of cargo handling equipment has improved to 80%, and is heading towards at least 95% to meet international benchmarks. Ship waiting times have reduced to impressive levels.
“While this is important progress, there is still much work to be done to position Durban as a world-class port and as a hub port for the Southern Hemisphere,” President Ramaphosa said.
During his visit he reassured SA Transport Union (Satu) workers that Transnet would not be privatised but partnerships would be forged to create more jobs.
The aim of the visit was to ensure that commitments made following his meeting with port users and stakeholders in October 2019 have been implemented.
A multi-party work team has been established, together with port users, to address key issues related to port performance.
The Department of Public Enterprises and the Department of Transport, with support from Operation Vulindlela, are working to implement structural reforms that will modernise and increase investment in the transport sector. – SAnews.gov.za