‘Prostitute’ refused entry to Durban port

The recent barring of a female
truck employee from Durban
harbour has prompted an
extraordinary response from
the Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association (DHCA).
For the first time in an
over 100-year history the
association has called for the
removal of security manager
Garth Apollis from his post at
the Port of Durban.
The last straw, said DHCA
chairman Kevin Martin, was
an incident last week where
a female member of the twoman
(although effectively
in this case a one-man/onewoman)
crew of an abnormal
load escort vehicle was refused
entry to the port. A refusal,
said Apollis, designed to
“curtail prostitution”.
But this highly offended
crew leader, Tim Cathcart
James, who runs the abnormal
loads escorting company,
Escorts for Africa, and who
was accompanied by his
fellow crew member and
wife of many years standing,
Gail. They share the driving
responsibilities and have fitted
out their vehicle to be a home
and office away from home.
Some of
his other
vehicles
also
have
husband-and-wife
teams.
“It is insulting,
demeaning and a
breach of fundamental
human rights to imply
that a man’s wife is a
prostitute and the
man her pimp,”
said Martin.
Abnormal
loads normally
only move during
daylight and stop
overnight. But
because Point is
situated in the
town centre, they
are normally moved
out of the harbour
between midnight and
4 am to cause the
least disruption. And, because
it is dark, the escort vehicles
become even more critical to
ensure public safety.
They also normally move
under
the direct
control
of the
Municipal
Police to the start
of the laid-down
abnormal route out
of the Province. “It is
critical that the escort
vehicles remain with the
trucks awaiting collection,”
said a DHCA memo, “so
as not to waste Municipal
Police resources. To this end
they require entry into the
harbour to await collection
as the police will judge when
the best time for collection
and escorting is.”
On this issue, Martin
contacted Zeph Ndlovu,
Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) GM for KZN coastal
terminals, for assistance.
“We tried for over three
hours together – including
speaking to the Point terminal
manager who was willing to
assist. But Apollis refused
to budge,” said Martin. “He
insisted he fell under Transnet
National Ports Authority
(TNPA), the landlords, and
not TPT, the tenants. This
despite appeals and assurances
from senior personnel for
the tenant, and myself
representing industry.”
Interviewed by FTW, Apollis
said: “We do not allow people
to sleep in the port. There
are no facilities for anyone.”
Queried about the reason being
given to James that it was to
curtail prostitution, he added:
“We’ve had troubles in the
past” – but wouldn’t supply any
specific cases of such events
involving escort personnel.
There was also disagreement
about the time this issue had
taken place. Although all
the others agreed that it had
been at 13:00 hours, Apollis
insisted: “They arrived at
six o’clock and the move was
for half past three the next
morning. Everybody (the
transporters and escorts) were
(sic) all told that.”
And, although Carl Webb,
who represents the Road
Freight Association (RFA) on
abnormal haulage at the port,
told us that it was common
practice for the truck drivers
and the escorts to sleep while
they waited for the move-out
signal, Apollis was adamant
that “nobody was allowed to
sleep in the port” and that this
included the men as well as
women.
Also, although no one can
identify anything that fits
the bill, Apollis told FTW
that there was a parking area
just inside the security gates,
and toilets, a shower and a
kitchen that drivers and escort
personnel can use.
An investigation for FTW
of this unknown facility was
undertaken by one of Webb’s
team. There was “a muckedup
toilet,” he said, which
the security guard told him
they wouldn’t let the truck or
escort drivers use “because
they mess it up”. But, said our
investigator: “I don’t know how
they could mess it up more
than it is.”
However, no shower
nor “anything remotely
resembling a kitchen”, he
added. “Anyway, I wouldn’t
take food anywhere near that
place.”
All of which seems to give a
lie to Apollis’ statement.
A recent new security
measure he was fully
intending to implement –
despite not having Municipal
approval (as required by
law) – was a road layout not
approved by a roads engineer.
This would have compromised
road safety and would have
effectively closed the southern
half of the harbour."
This was only prevented
from being implemented
after the intervention of the
Port Consultative Committee
(PPC) – which reports to two
ministers and parliament.
The association’s records
also noted that, a month ago,
his security effectively closed
Pier 1 – a multi-million rand
terminal operated by TPT –
while doing security checks.
“After vigorous meetings
with terminal management,”
Martin said, “he relented.
This after he was shown a
more effective way to achieve
his objective – but only after
costing the country millions
of rands!