'What about environmental issues?'

HAD ALL the shipping lines been more openly included in the bidding process, MOL would possibly have shown greater interest in Coega. The company, which operates nine terminals around the world, is on record that it would rather be involved along with other lines in privatised terminal operations (Combined approach to private terminals could work - MOL executive vice president Makoto Ishii, FTW March 19, 1999). There are a number of alarming features to Coega including no contract yet in place for developing a container terminal, and until all other options - like further developing Durban and Port Elizabeth - have been exhausted, we remain unconvinced. Now there is talk of developing Saldanha for containers, so how does that impact on Coega? The latest environmental impact study is not yet complete even though work has started and there are so many environmental role players to consider. Let us look at our social conscience as well. I don't know whether all the Coega role players have got together and really thrashed out important issues like the cost of a double rail link from Coega to Johannesburg and who will pay. If one thinks of the topography of that area, where are they going to put a rail link to Durban, or is it the intention to feeder Durban cargo? If so, what are the implications of this? We are not sure whether they have considered the implications of large volumes of cargo moving between Coega and Johannesburg by rail, given that 58% of cargo currently discharged in Durban moves to Johannesburg. A hub and spoke operation with all the necessary infrastructure would be the perfect world, but there is no infrastructure in place at Coega. If one is talking feeders to handle the volumes, you're talking a lot of vessels, and where will they come from? What is frustrating is that nobody is coming up with options other than simply pushing Coega. They keep saying increasing Port Elizabeth's draught and building a new breakwater is too expensive. What is too expensive? Nobody has yet put numbers on the table. We do however understand that there is a bigger picture and that the port will also service the new IDZ. But who are the substantial players in the IDZ? Those behind the project have not to my knowledge really engaged the shipping lines as a forum (i.e. the Container Liner Operators Forum) whose members control 80% of volumes going through the ports. Perhaps the lines have been a little too sedentary on the Coega issue as a whole.