I REFER to your front page leader article New Portnet chief will be based in Durban (FTW April 14, 2000).
As a citizen of the new South African democracy, it is with a sense of great pride and anticipation that I now await the impact of the appointment of Mr Tau Morwe as Portnet's first divisional CEO w.e.f. 1 May 2000.
The Port of Durban will probably feature prominently in the immediate future in terms of trade growth from Southern Africa, and in terms of port efficiency we are now competing with the best.
Being a paid-up member of several professional institutions, it gives me great pleasure to personally welcome Mr Morwe on board. I have no doubt that all the recognised professional institutions will also give him their heartiest support, this being typical of Durbanites, as Mr Morwe will be based in our port city.
Now to the nitty gritty. According to updated information there seems to be an unresolved problem between the major shipping lines and Portnet apropos the inordinately slow working rate of containers, compounded by the again slow turnaround of vessels in this port.
I am encouraged that there seem to be moves afoot to rectify this problem. Mr Morwe is reported to have acknowledged one of his first tasks as improving quantitatively and qualitatively all aspects of port operations.
One welcomes this forthright approach. The private sector has been mentioned as being an important element of the success of this approach and one now looks forward eagerly to the beneficial co-operation between the private sector and Portnet which will hopefully result in a positive approach towards achieving world standards.
I am looking forward to Mr Morwe's Midas Touch as seemingly he has been chosen to lead this port (and hopefully, by example, our other ports) to economic success.
If Mr Morwe does not perform according to expectations, one must again unfortunately question the pragmatism and practicality (and indeed, common sense) of affirmative action without experience, as it has on numerous occasions in the past let us all down, bearing in mind that there is no shortage in this country of experienced operators. not necessarily of historically disadvantaged background, but indeed, willing to lend their expertise without any favour.
Peter Somasundram, Durban.
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