NPA coughs up for NSRI

Having led the National Sea
Rescue Institute a merry dance
for months over non-payment of
grants – leading the organisation
to suspect the sponsorship
plug had been pulled – the
National Ports Authority has
finally pledged to honour its
obligations.
This after a frustrated NSRI
chief executive, Ian Wienburg,
complained in a news report
he doubted whether there was
anyone at Transnet head office
to whom he had not spoken
about the overdue money, also
that faxes and e-mails had not
elicited any response.
Now the NPA, more
dependent on the NSRI than
almost any other major sponsor,
will pay its overdue R100 000
grant for last year as well as the
2009 grant for a similar amount,
due by April.
“Transnet was quite upset
with me over my media
comments and is now at least
returning my calls,” Wienburg
told FTW last week.
“It seems they are coming to
the party again but there’s many
a slip between cup and lip.”
What puzzles Wienburg,
though, is a request that the
NSRI submit a new application
for NPA sponsorship. “One
really wonders why one has to
do this; it’s almost like a school
teacher applying to the principal
for permission to go to class.”
Sanjay Govan, port manager
for Cape Town, says the
sponsorship has “nothing to do”
with the port of Cape Town.
“The first I heard was
when head office recently
asked whether I had pledged
the money. The sponsorship,
I assume, was okayed by
someone at head office and not
followed through.”