TPT reshuffles management pack

There has been a monstrous management reshuffle and team restructuring at Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) which, said silver-mouthed CE, Tau Morwe, “signals a dynamic approach to the quality of its operations and a renewed focus on supply chain efficiencies”. But the immediate reaction of shippers, ship operators and shipping agents talked to by FTW was that it was nothing new – and management restructuring had been tried before. In the words of Tim McClure, MD of SA’s main bulk shipping operation, Island View Shipping (IVS): “It’s a bit too early to make any comments, apart from the fact that it’s been tried before. We don’t know the meaning of any of those names, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in practicality this time.” But it will have a beneficial effect and comply with customers’ demands, if Morwe is to be believed. “The organisation’s key priorities over the next two years will be to align the organisation with global standards by focusing on total quality management (TQM) and human capital and development.” The terminal operator has decided to create a new department, to be headed by Velile Dube as GM for TQM and Continuous Improvement (TQM & CI) – a department designed “to implement transformation and change management processes with the aim of converting customers’ operational requirements to tangible changes”, Morwe added. Linked to this is another change, with Litha Mcwabeni moving in as GM for strategy, with the task of forward planning of future capacity developments aligned to demand forecasts, benchmarking of TPT operations and liaison with key stakeholders regarding policy issues and government liaison. TPT has also decided to reduce its previous four operational sectors for containers, bulk, breakbulk and automotive categories to three. These are the mineral bulk sector headed by Zeph Ndlovu; agricultural bulk and roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) sector by Victor Mkhize; while Siyabulela Mhaluka will remain responsible for the container sector. These three departmental managers will be immediately supported by key account executives for the agricultural, mineral bulk, containers, break bulk liner services and the automotive sectors. TPT is also to combine the management of the two Richards Bay terminals (dry bulk and multipurpose) under one team led by Ben Khonyane, former business unit executive (BUE) at Saldanha multipurpose terminal. Similarly the two Cape Town terminals will also become one. This sees current BUE at Durban container terminal, Moshe Motlohi, now appointed BUE for the Cape Town terminals – with the container and multipurpose terminals now to operate under a single management team. The Durban car terminal operation is also to be integrated to the Durban Point terminal as a ro-ro operation. The rest of the plan is an extensive reshuffle or reconfirmation of senior and middle management members. And at least this reshuffle and restructuring is aimed at the right weak spot, which is management, according to Dave Watts, Durbanbased shipping adviser to the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff). “I believe that the changes in management announced do in fact indicate an understanding of some of the difficulties facing TPT, particularly on the container operations side,” he told FTW. “Over recent years there has been a process of equipment replacement and refurbishment at the three major terminals in Durban and Cape Town. “Lack of service delivery can no longer be laid at the door of insufficient or outdated equipment and infrastructure, but purely at management.” And recent events both in Durban and Cape Town – with ship delays and congestion occurring during what is generally accepted as a material reduction in volumes – is very concerning to the shipping industry, Watts added. “We must hope that the changes announced by Morwe – both in personnel and corporate strategic direction – will result in future volume increases being handled at levels comparable with other ports and within the expectations of SA industry.” Cape Town-based shipping authority, Peter Newton, expressed similar sentiments on behalf of the Cape’s shippers and shipping agents. He condemned the management for their inadequacy – pointing at members at all levels of the management team – and the fact that they had allowed congestion to clog up all the ports on the SA coast even at a time when volumes were at a particularly low ebb. He also pointed to one particular change that would please the Cape shipper community. That was the redeployment of Oscar Borchards, former BUE of Cape Town container terminal to head office and the TQ & CI department. Borchards was “pleasant and extremely charming”, according to Newton, But he “lacked the wherewithal to make the necessary operational management changes, even after repeated complaints from port users”. The Durban terminal management restructuring is also a bit of a “don’t know” situation according to Mahmood Simjee, operations manager of the SA coaster shipping operation, Ocean Africa Container Line (OACL). This is where current BUE at Durban container terminal, Moshe Motlohi, is now BUE for the CT terminals – with the new management at the DCT to be announced shortly.