Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines

Stanbury shoots down arguments against sale of Capespan shares

01 Dec 2000 - by Staff reporter
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Ray Smuts

GRUMBLES and gripes by some independent fruit producers notwithstanding, Capespan is determined to go ahead with the sale of a 50% stake in its Southern African portside terminals to an international operator.
This was the unequivocal response from John Stanbury, outgoing managing director of Capespan, in his final interview with FTW before returning to Gauteng to assume the position as c.e.o of the mining and industrial division of Murray and Roberts on January 1 next year.
Prominent Eastern Cape-based independent citrus farmer Valdy Jensen has charged that Capespan acquired the port facility assets in 1994, in a manner that was contrary to the declaration of the minister of agriculture. Because of this, the ownership was the subject of a dispute.
Independent growers and exporters have argued that the assets belong to the South African growers who were forced, in terms of previous legislation, to use Unifruco and Outspan to export their produce.
They claim Unifruco and Outspan which later merged to create Capespan, built up the port facilities from profits generated by growers under the previous legislation.
But these claims were dismissed by Stanbury who said the controversy surrounding the 'so-called industry assets' had been raging since before deregulation.
They have in fact delivered only newspaper reports. There is not a single decision I am aware of by any party having jurisdiction that has supported any of the claims made by the independents in the media.
As far as we are concerned there is no reason to place any hold on moving the (terminals) facility in a direction we believe is actually in line with what is good for the country, that is, taking it out of the hands of a single operator and putting management control under a port operator, so we are going ahead.
Stanbury said Capespan had always been sensitive to concerns raised about the pending sale, hence the decision to keep all interested parties fully informed. This new strategy had been brought to the attention of the Fresh Produce Exporter's Forum and Portnet well in advance by way of a letter of intent so we are not going about it arrogantly but in a businesslike manner.

Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
No article may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor

To respond to this article send your email to joyo@nowmedia.co.za

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

FTW - 1 Dec 00

View PDF
Optimistic analyst predicts upswing
01 Dec 2000
Beira squares up to fight for Zimbabwe exports
01 Dec 2000
P&ON achieves record volumes
01 Dec 2000
Driving rains close Richards Bay
01 Dec 2000
'Pipe to pipe' service offers one stop shop for bulk liquids
01 Dec 2000
Durban predicts 7% growth for year ahead
01 Dec 2000
Portnet will take partnership route - Radebe
01 Dec 2000
Electronic bill raises interpretation questions
01 Dec 2000
RBCT passes the billion mark
01 Dec 2000
Expert dismisses claims that SA roads are sub-standard
01 Dec 2000
Richards Bay joins vessel tracking party
01 Dec 2000
Experts look at SA oil spills
01 Dec 2000
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Botswana 20 June 2025

Border Beat

Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
Cross-border payments remain a hurdle – Masondo
30 May 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Foreign Creditors Clerk (DBN)

Tiger Recruitment
DBN
24 Jun
New

Multimodal Operations Controller

Lee Botti & Associates
East Rand
23 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us