- There are concerns about the current state of service delivery at the Port of Cape Town.
- In the 2020/21 financial year, there were 5 064 incidents of equipment breaking down.
- The provincial government is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently visit the port.
The Western Cape government has raised concerns about the inefficiencies at the Port of Cape Town, which is becoming a risk for agricultural exports.
MEC for Agriculture Ivan Meyer had a recent meeting with the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) regarding concerns about the current state of service delivery at the port - and its potential negative impact on the export of agricultural products.
"Any inefficiencies in this port will, therefore, harm the Western Cape's economy and cost jobs, at a time when we desperately need to be creating more of it."
Meyer said the Port of Cape Town is a vital cog in the wheel of the Western Cape and South Africa's economy.
"The shortage of equipment and obsolete equipment highlight the Port Authority's inability to manage the Cape Town terminal efficiently. It undermines the critical role that the port should play in supporting exports and economic growth."
The Department of Economic Development and Tourism, led by MEC David Maynier, established a Port Task Team, which has brought together stakeholders from across the port logistics value chain, to find solutions to the challenges facing the Port of Cape Town.
Efficiency
"And while this task team has achieved some successes to date, improving port efficiency will ultimately require an intervention by the national government. We have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit the Port of Cape Town urgently."
According to the provincial government, in the 2020/21 financial year, there were 5 064 incidents of equipment breakdowns across all three shifts at the port, equivalent to about 14 breakdowns per day.
The cause of the breakdowns is mainly due to equipment reaching its lifespan.
CGA CEO Justin Chadwick told News24 the engagement comes after concerns over productivity.
"The ports can be the economic engines in the provinces and they are important in terms of job creation and stimulating the economies. There was a lot of talk about improving the productivity of the ports and, mainly, in maintaining equipment."
Chadwick said the last two years had indicated the ports are battling to handle food exports from Gqeberha and Cape Town.
"Food exports are on the increase. Both provinces have indicated that we should work closely with Transnet to ensure the logistics are carried out."