PON takeover still awaits results of SA probe

Particular focus on SAECS service ALAN PEAT THE SA competition authorities are having their own local investigation of the AP Møller/Maersk takeover of P&O Nedlloyd, with a specific focus on the SA-Europe Container Service (SAECS) where the Maersk group of lines (also including Safmarine) hold a major proportion of the service. According to Lindiwe Khumalo – who heads up the Competition Commission’s mergers and acquisitions section – the first submission has been made to the Competition Tribunal, which will make the final judgement on the issue. This, she told FTW, was an approval – but with certain conditions, one of which is believed to be similar to the European Community (EC) demand that Maersk sell off the PONL portion of SAECS. But, said Thabelo Masithulele of the tribunal, this first submission has been returned to the commission for redrafting – with a particular focus on the wording of the conditions. He gave no indication of when this investigation would be completed, but suggested that it was unlikely to be a lengthy process.