Restructured Portnet management sets the groundwork for privatisation and transformation

AS PORTNET moves towards the new millennium, and with increased demands for improved productivity and flexibility in the ports, a restructuring at senior management level has become imperative, according to a Portnet spokesman.
The restructuring is aimed at enabling Portnet to achieve world standards as a port operator, FTW was told. It also comes in the face of increased pressures on Portnet to begin privatising and to achieve transformation levels required within the organisation. Restructuring and refocusing will take immediate effect, with a number of appointments effective since May 1. These include eight new general managers, with four positions having been confirmed and follows the February appointment of Rob Childs as executive director (Transnet) and managing director of Portnet.
The eight new g.m.s will slot in between Childs and Portnet's existing executive, who will now report directly to their respective general managers.
Appointments so far announced include Jan Jansen, current port manager at Port Elizabeth, who assumes the portfolio of general manager Eastern Ports (Richards Bay, Durban and East London). Jansen, who has been port manager at P.E. since 1989 will be based at Umhlanga near Durban.
Other appointments see Ronnie Kingwell joining Portnet as g.m. Western Ports (Saldanha, Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth). Kingwell was imported from the
private sector, where he was group financial manager from 1985 and later general manager of Eskom's Cape operation from 1991.
Siyabonga Gama, port manager at East London assumes the mantle of g.m. in charge of transformation within Portnet. Gama's background has been in banking and port management. The final appointment announced so far is that of Patrick Dada as g.m. Human Resources. Dada moves up a notch from his current title of executive manager Portnet Human Resources.
FTW was advised that the other four appointments would be made known in early May. These will be for the positions of general manager Commercial; gm Marketing; gm Marine & Technical; and gm Finance. These changes to Portnet's management structure also mean that the port authority will have to find two additional port managers for East London and Port Elizabeth. Cape Town has already had to wait over two years without a permanent manager at the head, a factor leading to complaints and criticism from several port users (April 3, 1998). The positions at East London and Port Elizabeth will be advertised.
By Terry Hutson