Ray Smuts THE National Ports Authority of South Africa is pulling out all the stops to ensure it meets with internationally accepted security norms at all its ports by mid 2004, chief harbour master Neil Brink said last week. Attending the NPA’s first media open day in the Port of Cape Town - ‘A Day in the Life of a Port’ Ð Brink told guests that NPA had committed R200 million to ensure its ports complied with the stringent International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code to be implemented in July 2004. Port manager Sanjay Govan debunked a number of negative publicity reports concerning the NPA in Cape Town, saying: n It is not true six ships were damaged in negligent docking procedures at a cost to the taxpayer of R10 million. The facts are that the NPA has put on notice five cases but only two claims have been lodged for R500000. What is more, the cost of damage to ships is not passed onto the taxpayer. n It is equally untrue that the Port of Cape Town is losing business due to its inability to make decisions; in fact the opposite is true but the port has had to decline some business due to an increased demand for docking facilities. n On allegations that NPA equipment is not in an acceptable condition, dangerous and unfit for use, he said all equipment regularly underwent stringent inspection in pursuit of the highest standards of safety. The NPA also denies “a perception” that container traffic, which accounts for 44,5% of the port’s business, often has to take a back seat on pilotage services as first preference is given to cruise ships, tankers, and oil rigs, saying the berthing reservation system is “transparent.” Referring to a recent call by Captain Michael Valcic, MOL’s Cape Town-based tonnage manager, for two dedicated tugs to serve the container terminal, the NPA says it should be understood that Cape Town is a “common user port” and that there is sufficient capacity to handle the volumes of traffic. The port handles about 99 different breakbulk commodities and at the container terminal some 42000 TEU are handled a month, Maersk Sealand being the biggest player (42% of the share) followed by MSC (19%).
