Transport utility Transnet says the 24-hour delays caused by heavy rain at port terminals in Durban at the weekend have been cleared, and it has implemented contingency measures to avoid disruptions such as those experienced during the April floods.
However, business in KwaZulu-Natal have warned that mounting inefficiencies and backlogs at the port after April’s devastating floods are having direct consequences for consumers and the prices of basic food imports.
The Port of Durban is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in Sub-Saharan Africa and a vital link in the supply chain to SA main economic hub of Gauteng.
“The traffic has been cleared ... Transporters may now dispatch trucks to the terminal,” Transnet said in statement on Tuesday. “There are contingency plans in place and mitigations to catch up on any delays, including maximising staff operations. There are currently no long-term delays expected as a result of the flooding in the Port of Durban and all terminals are operational.”
But while the port — the fourth-largest container terminal in the southern hemisphere, handling as much as to 31.4-million tonnes of cargo a year — experienced minimal damage from last weekend’s heavy rain, it is still reeling from the April flooding and access remains limited.
Durban Chamber of Business CEO Palesa Phili says crew at the port were affected by the recent flooding and are operating at sub-optimally.
“Every macro event such as disaster that impacts the port results in a delay in business,” Phili said. “There are lengthy processes to meet bookings. And a major concern are the damages to Bayhead Road [which supports port operations.
“The backlog has direct consequences for the consumer because the Durban economy is extremely reliant on the port for basic food items among other things,” she added.
Solly Suleman, the president of the (Islamic) Minara Chamber of Commerce, said problems at the port date back more than a decade. “It’s an economic crisis and with food imports such as sunflower seeds for cooking oil and other food imports being affected by the war [in Ukraine], there is concern from consumers that foods costs are rising,” he said.
Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association, warned that the increasing cost of fuel, coupled with challenges at the port, is placing a strain on the logistics industry.
“There is still a fair amount of repair work being done and some areas still aren’t fully rehabilitated. The new rain and reported heavy weather can create further problems — especially where access routes are made impassable. The backlogs could reappear or get even worse.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.