Richards Bay container terminal on the cards

Replacement helicopter expected in July
TERRY HUTSON
THE PORT of Richards Bay has a tradition of celebrating every five years and reaching the milestone of its 30th birthday this year on April 1 was no exception, although it took another month to hold the party. Nevertheless it was well worth the wait, and Richards Bay people showed how they like to party. But jollification aside, the celebration was a reminder of the many achievements accomplished and also gave a taste of what is to come. One of the speakers was Mvikeli Matutu, NPA’s general manager of marine services, who assured port users that the NPA was working hard towards the goal of a dry dock and ship repair facility at Richards Bay. He said the port would also be getting a container terminal and a second chemical berth for bulk liquids, while he hoped that a replacement marine helicopter would be in service by July. Saying that the port continues to have tremendous developmental potential, Matutu pointed out that 30 years ago Richards Bay handled a mere 86 ships in its first year, compared with 1 800 that now call annually. And last year Richards Bay handled 89 million tonnes of cargo and earned forex worth R15 billion. Port manager Thami Ntshingila told guests that the port had moved over 1.7 billion tonnes of cargo over its quays since inception, and he took the opportunity to urge the provincial finance minister, who was present, to lobby central government for a container terminal at the port. But if all those present were enjoying themselves on the night, there were some who queried the absence of SA Port Operations, despite Sapo being marked down for a speech. A few days earlier the Zululand Observer ran a hard-hitting story relating the degree of dissatisfaction among port users over productivity and listed a number of other issues concerning Richards Bay. “The once envied port, in the past referred to as ‘the Singapore of Africa’, is now spoken of in the same breath as third world ports such as Lagos and Mombasa, and stands in danger of being by-passed by world maritime trade,” the Observer noted. Also highlighted were fears that the volume of cargo being diverted to Maputo was on the increase. “The port has gone backwards since its impressive beginnings.” The paper reminded readers that at a recent meeting of the Port Users Forum a vote of no confidence had been tabled. If there was one thing clear at the port’s 30 year bash it was that Richards Bay people are proud of their port and its accomplishments, but it’s also clear that won’t hold them back from speaking out about its deficiencies. “Investor confidence - and most industries make use of the port for imports and exports - depends heavily on a harbour that performs to the satisfaction of the users. We look forward to reporting on a considerable rise in customer satisfaction levels,” concluded the Observer.