Molefe puts cars before hamburgers

Having a car terminal in
place of Port Elizabeth’s
manganese ore dumps and
tank farm would contribute
more to the local economy
than another hamburger
joint and clothing store,
says Transnet CEO Brian
Molefe.
Speaking at a breakfast
briefing in Port Elizabeth
recently, Molefe was
responding to calls by the
Chamber of Business and
municipality for the freedup
areas of the port to be
turned into a waterfront.
Transnet’s plans for the
area to be freed up by
moving the bulk ore and
petroleum facilities to
Ngqura show that it would
be paved and converted
into a modern vehicle
export facility.
Molefe said he believed
that the Nelson Mandela
Bay Metro would be
better served by a facility
that ensured that the
likes of General Motors,
Volkswagen and FAW
remained competitive,
rather than another
shopping and restaurant
complex.
“We need to use our
current infrastructure
optimally,” he said.
Put under pressure by the
local business community,
he said Transnet could be
persuaded otherwise if a
compelling business case
could be made for the
proposed waterfront.
“We do not want to be
a nation of consumers.
We need to utilise our
proximity to the sea for
trade, not consumption,”
he said.