The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) has joined others in condemning the destruction of the country’s key infrastructure, goods and property and the senseless loss of lives over the past week.

“We respect South Africa’s law and the Constitution, but it is time to take action. It is time for us to work together, make plans, implement those plans and ensure our supply chains continue to operate,” SAAFF chairperson Dr Juanita Maree said in a statement on July 15.

SAAFF’s membership comprises freight forwarders, who are the architects of the supply chain. For the economy to function and for people to be able to survive and prosper, supply chains need to function unimpeded. 

The closure of the Port of Durban and parts of the N2, N3 and N4 over recent days as a result of the senseless looting and destruction of trucks, their cargo, shopping malls, distribution centres and beyond has severely impacted supply chains, which Maree said “has massive short-term consequences and even more devastating long-term ones for everyone in this country”. 

The impact of the past few days will reverberate far beyond South Africa’s borders.

According to The Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Association (Fesarta) CEO Mike Fitzmaurice, what has happened in South Africa in this last week, “has also impacted hugely on other landlocked countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, who rely heavily on South Africa for imports of fuel, groceries, pharmaceuticals, mining equipment and spares, vehicle spares, tyres and much more”.

Those countries that have used South Africa as a transit route for exports through the Port of Durban will now turn to alternate routes for exports such as Walvis Bay, in Namibia; Beira, in Mozambique; and Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, he noted.

“This does not bode well for South Africa’s global image. We are likely to see some large-scale disinvestment in the country, as we had in the Apartheid era. We can expect to see further downgrades to our junk status by the likes of Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s in the short term and the rand is likely to breech the R15 to the dollar level very soon,” he continued.

As part of a collective from the private sector, the SAAFF is appealing to all key stakeholders to play an active role in restoring South Africa's crucial trade lanes along the main transport corridors of the N2, N3 and N4.

“There is an urgent need to protect our commercial ports as key national areas of interest, since they are the main arteries funnelling essential goods into our country,” the association stressed, adding that, at this critical junction, “it is vital for cargo to move, as further delays will not only deplete supplies, but will create further congestion, imbalances and, ultimately, cost for all involved”.

The ensuing shortage of goods will only worsen an already compromised food security situation.

It is for this reason that South Africa’s transport corridors need to be preserved, as they are of huge importance, especially for increasing trade between countries and cities along and around the corridors and accelerating regional development and regional integration through their effects on commodity markets, the labour market and tourism. 

“Trade creates the circulation of cash in our economy and as a result helps to drive economic prosperity, job creation and long-term stability,” Maree said on behalf of the SAAFF.

She added that, for supply chains to operate, the national highway corridors and harbours need to be able to move cargo safely and securely. 

“As industries and communities, we need to come together to take action. SAAFF, together with other role-players in the extended community, is busy formulating a seven-point plan to restore normality and enable supply chains to continue functioning. The plan focuses on securing the N2, N3, N4 and our harbours.”

The SAAFF will be prioritising essential cargo as the first step towards restoring the import and export of cargo.

The association has also called on communities to come forward with any footage, drone footage or contacts of those involved in the looting and criminal activities that will help in identifying those involved.

“The perpetrators and instigators of these criminal acts need to be brought to book,” the SAAFF said.

It lamented, however, that “if supply chains are stopped, there will be massive blockages in parts of the supply chain, bringing about enormous unintended, incalculable consequences”.

It urged that South Africa needs all key stakeholders to “come together to alleviate the dire situation”.

“The supply chain is a living organism, which cannot handle any stoppages. Like our country, it relies on the constant and unhindered functioning of all its interlinked components,” Maree concluded.