Merc wants EL port to stay clean

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) CEO and president Martin Zimmermann has told a media briefing that the company would “be happy” if a proposed coal export terminal in East London did not go ahead. MBSA’s South African assembly plant overlooks the port, which is also the main export and import point for the company’s vehicles. East London is being considered as an export terminal for coal mined by Elitheni Coal near Indwe. His statement comes after Transnet Port Terminals CEO Karl Socikwa announced in December that the port operator was planning to export two million tons of coal a year through the river harbour from mid-2012.