Terry Hutson
THE DURBAN container terminal has returned to normal following disruptions caused by an anti-privatisation strike in early October and an abnormal number of port closures caused by high winds and swells across the port entrance.
The terminal’s problems came at the busiest time of the year. At times the terminal has been handling in excess of 4 000 boxes daily and the port itself is now headed for a new high in containers handled in any one year - around 1.3 million TEU - no mean achievement despite the hiccups.
GM Themba Gwala cautions however that although the game of catch-up has been won, the battle to stay ahead of constantly increasing volumes continues, and any sudden deterioration in the weather or ship bunching
will bring about further delays. To page 28
From page 1
The turnaround came with the active co-operation of the shipping lines and the introduction of several innovations, including allocating berthing slots to selected shipping lines.
However, under-investment remains the greatest concern of port users, including many of the country’s most important importers and exporters.
They have fears that under-investment will continue beyond the commissioning of the Durban Port 2005 project, which is now underway at the Point. The first caissons for the new quay wall are due to be floated across from Bayhead within the next few weeks.
Port users have good reason to fear that by the time this project is up and running (in 2005), Durban will again have run out of space.
There are also concerns that a new container facility at Coega in the Eastern Cape will be used by port authorities as a reason not to invest further in Durban.
What Durban, and indeed the region and country now require, is a positive indication by government through the NPA and Transnet that further development will take place, with practical demonstrations of what this will be and when it will be undertaken. Otherwise, Durban as a port is likely to continue as a port in distress.
US Conference
‘keeps watch’
l Referring to the impact
of these developments
on the $75 US-SA Conference congestion surcharge implemented last Friday (November 15), Safmarine’s Ivan Heesom- Green commented:
“Sapo records show that Durban’s average berth waiting time for container vessels decreased from week 45 (over 80 hrs) to week 46 (over 50 hrs).
“There is no doubt that the US-SA conference lines look forward to the Durban delays decreasing to the agreed 16 hr average and in this respect look forward to the Sapo statistics in the week ahead.
“Safmarine and Maersk Sealand are fully supportive of Sapo’s efforts to reduce berthing delays in SA ports as the competitiveness of our customers (SADC exporters and importers) is directly affected by the port congestion delays and associated costs.”
