Weighing facility tender goes to empowerment consortium

EMPOWERMENT consortium Weight-Tech International has landed the tender to erect a facility in Cape Town harbour for the weighing of containers. The grouping comprises a shipping company, non-governmental organisations and a student investment company. The major shareholder (50%) is Dumarine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Durban-based empowerment group Dudula Shipping. The NGOs are represented by Ditikeni Investment Company, which was established to give them greater financial security. The third partner is Cape Students Investment Network, which was established by Dudula to give a group of Cape Town-based students exposure to business and investment realities. The tender was awarded by the National Ports Authority in order to promote increased vessel safety, efficient port operations, reduced vehicle overloading, greater security and black economic empowerment. Dudula's Yacoob Hartley, who initiated the project with the company's Lance Manala, is Weight-Tech's chief executive "Involving the students' company ensures that skills transfer to our future managers is effected at the early stages of the project," says Manala. "Economic benefits will be shared with marginalised communities through the involvement of the NGOs, while the presence of entrepreneurs, international links and an established maritime organisation ensures we will be innovative, customer-focused and well-managed."