Letter

‘Hats off to transformation in the freight industry’ I HAVE often wondered whether the shipping industry will ever really embrace transformation. Being in the sales industry and dealing with various shipping lines and service providers I often find that black staff end up doing the day to day paperwork and that more serious issues are given to white males to handle. I could be ignorant of what is happening but I honestly experience and see it around me all the time. It therefore was a pleasant surprise to pick up a copy of the FTW Black Economic Empowerment special edition (September 12, 2003). By reading through your magazine I noticed that some progress by various black businessmen in the shipping industry has been made and that ‘black enterprise and black empowered enterprise’are in fact getting a foothold in the shipping industry. We are still a long way from being a true reflection of the demographics of our country but progress has been made and we need to keep this progress going. John Roodt, Intersped, Kempton Park.