After the critical article about the multi-purpose terminal (MPT) at the Port of Durban in the last issue of FTW, port users’ growing irritation about the management’s disregard for their expressed concerns, and an allegation that deputy director of operations, Saleem Peterson, had an “arrogant” attitude, FTW received an irate phone call last Tuesday morning from an MPT staff member. Why, it was demanded of us, had we carried the article without approaching Peterson for his reaction? It was stressed that strict FTW deadline timing had prevented us from doing so, but that he was on our diary for this issue, and this was grudgingly accepted. It was followed later in the day by a second phone call from another party levelling the same criticism, and insisting that we should come to see him. Due to time constraints, we agreed to conduct an interview by telephone. We were told that Peterson would be approached for “an appointment time” when we could phone him. A return call notified us that 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning was the time. The call was duly made, but FTW was told that Peterson was “in a meeting” and would phone us himself when he was available. No call was forthcoming, and two more FTW phone calls on the same day were unanswered in one case, and met with the same “in a meeting” response on the second. Four similar FTW calls were made on Thursday, again one unanswered and three answered with the “meeting” excuse. The final fifth call of the day was at 15:20 but FTW was told that Peterson had “already left the office”, this time for “an urgent meeting”. Deadline for this week’s story had come and gone by the end of the day, and therefore again we have a onesided, and equally critical, story of MPT’s failings. However, Saleem Peterson, when you have the time, you are invited in print to give FTW journalist Alan Peat a call at your convenience at: 031 465-2102 or 082 702- 3182. It’s your call.
