Richards Bay earns third world status

Disgruntled shippers level harsh criticism
ALAN PEAT
THE PORT of Richards Bay has now gained an international reputation as a “bad port” – with shipowners accusing it of low productivity, unreliability and a lack of infrastructure. This finger of accusation is pointed at the port’s multi-purpose terminal (MPT) and dry bulk terminal (DBT), where a complete lack of investment in their 30-year lifespan contrasts with heavy investment in the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) in that time. The difference, say shipowners and operators who talked to FTW, is that RBCT operates with clockwork efficiency, whereas the MPT and DBT stagger along – lacking in both management skills and capital equipment. “It’s a poor port,” said one, “and it’s now at the worst it has ever been. International shipping companies now rank it along with the likes of third world ports like Lagos and Mombasa, leaving a lot of disgruntled shippers and shipowners in its wake.” On the equipment side, the critics point to both a serious shortage and a complete lack of a proper maintenance and repair programme to keep what machinery there is in running order. “When one of the machines packs up on the job, there’s nothing to replace it, and work on the ship just comes to a grinding halt,” FTW was told. “The port area is littered with broken-down equipment.” Even getting ships in and out of the port has its problems, with the owners pointing to a serious shortage of pilots. “There’s talk of developing new markets,” one said, “particularly cargo being diverted from Durban. But bringing in more cargo would just put more strain on the already inadequate facilities.” Management is also under fire – both for frequent staff changes, and a lack of experience amongst the newcomers. “They just don’t seem to have the people in management who know how to look after their port,” said a major port user. “We believe that, if Richards Bay was run efficiently, we could save about 30% of our current port cost.” The answer, according to SA Port Operations (Sapo) and the National Port Authority (NPA), is the billion rand due to be invested in port development – with R800‑million bound for the DBT, FTW was told. Equipment has been ordered, and a lot of new machinery is bound for the port in the near future. The re-introduction of a maintenance and repair schedule is planned to keep the equipment in smooth running order. “But,” said one critic, “this is something we have been listening to for years, and nothing is actually happening. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”