A multi-party work team has been established to tackle key issues related to port performance, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.
He made the announcement during a visit to the Durban port on April 15.
The aim of the visit was to ensure that commitments made following the President’s meeting with port users and stakeholders in October 2019 had been implemented.
The Durban port plays an important role as a logistics hub for South Africa and the continent and it handles the largest freight volumes of any port in the country.
Ramaphosa said that improving the performance of South Africa’s ports, especially the Port of Durban, was a central objective of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and a key focus area of Operation Vulindlela.
“Significant progress has been made to reduce congestion and improve turnaround times at the port, as well as to increase rail utilisation.
"While this progress is a reflection of the hard work that is being done to reposition the port, there is still much work remaining to ensure the port system serves the needs of the economy and promotes growth.”
He noted that Transnet and its operating divisions were focusing on improving operational performance, increasing investment in port and rail infrastructure and ensuring adequate maintenance of equipment.