Ex-director of MBG speaks out

Carl van der Westhuizen, fruit
trader, long-time friend and former
partner of Ian Wicks in the new
MBG Shipping Line, has spoken up
for the first time about his reasons
for quitting. Uppermost was the fact
that he had been assured all along
that necessary equipment would be
in place come the new reefer service
launch.
Clearly upset at the apparent
termination of the service after
only one sailing and problems
experienced with existing service
providers, he told FTW: “I am not at
all well because the way those big
guys (the major container shipping
lines) jerk us exporters around is a
national disgrace.
“With containers booked for all
over the world, they just arbitrarily
decide they are not coming in (to
port) so they do what they like,
because they can.
“I am absolutely flabbergasted
industry did not really support
this venture because it needs a
new contender given the chaos we
now have with short-shipments,
but shippers were concerned at
the unavailability of equipment
(at MBG Shipping), so one has to
understand their reticence.”
He says he was essentially
brought on board due to long
experience in the fruit industry,
still involved in export trade to
destinations other than South
Africa/Europe/UK – but his
December departure from
MBG was also triggered by not
being privy to day-to-day
company goings-on, despite his
director status.
Even though he retains no links
at all with MBG Shipping, Van
der Westhuizen says he received
an e-mail from Wicks on February
18 to the effect he (Wicks) was
working in conjunction with agents
in Europe to salvage the service
and hoped to reach finality within
a week or so. No further word was
received from Wicks.