Morwe admits that investment is vital to address congestion

Discretion essential in new slot berthing system Ray Smuts IT'S A stark reality. There simply is no magic wand solution to the congestion nightmare in the Port of Durban, which makes committing further capital toward dealing with some of the root problems all the more necessary, South African Port Operations c.e.o. Tau Morwe said in Cape Town last week. Presiding over the first media networking get-together in the Mother City, Morwe said that despite parent company (and financier) Transnet questioning why investment was necessary in the face of concessioning of Durban's container terminal toward the third quarter of next year, it was essential in order to deal with some of the issues responsible for the backlog - straddle carriers and gantry cranes for example. "Obviously what you have to do is give Durban concessioning a chance to prove it is working. One of the perceptions is that once it (privatisation) happens service levels will improve, but there are also arguments that if you concession as it is, it will not actually change anything unless competition is introduced. "You will need some time to see how Durban will work and the government has said through Transnet that some port operations will still be operated by Sapo." Morwe could not say how long it would take for Cape Town to go the concessioning route but thinks it likely in less than ten years, if at all. On the question of poor marine service delivery, particularly in Cape Town, he said this was a matter for National Ports Authority to resolve. "But my response would be that if you are providing a service then ensure it is adequately resourced." Regarding the slot berthing system introduced in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town earlier this year, Nad Govender, who has responsibility for Sapo operations in Cape Town and Saldanha, says it is imperative that fair discretion be applied if the system is to work beyond its six-week incubation period. "We had a debate. The MSC ships were here and they wanted theirs to come in over another. We are saying you cannot prejudice one over another for today's smallest customer could be tomorrow's biggest." Other points made: l Congestion in Durban will be a problem for a long while, even once in the hands of a concessionaire. l Multi-purpose terminals in Durban and Cape Town are frequently accommodating container vessels carrying fewer that 120 boxes in order to relieve the pressure on container terminals.