SA is gearing up for another bumper agricultural season this year, and as a key enabler and partner to the sector Transnet — the custodian of SA’s port, rail and pipeline infrastructure — is ensuring it plays its part in the transportation of more of the produce by rail, to and through the ports, for destinations across the globe.
The country’s economic revival, as outlined in the government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, requires among other things that all key economic sectors — the agricultural sector being one of them — are enabled to perform at optimal levels.
This year’s grain season kicked off in May. From Transnet’s perspective the plan is to double export grain volumes to 555,000 tonnes from 235,826 tonnes in the previous season, a 133% increase. The increase in the number of trains to be used for export grain aligns firmly to Transnet’s road-to-rail strategy.
As the citrus export season also gets under way, Transnet has put in measures to ensure that across the value chain we are ready to deliver. In Bela Bela, Limpopo, the freight rail division has already moved 13 trains carrying citrus to the Port of Durban. Each train hooks 50 loaded reefer containers that will be hauled on an 850km stretch of rail to the port, with each reefer container loading up to 1,600 cartons of citrus, destined for the EU, UK, Middle East and US.
Farmers in Tzaneen have already loaded eight trains, which is expected to increase as the citrus season reaches its peak in July. Transnet plans to move 70% more citrus by rail this year.
An efficient rail network is integral to the country’s overall export performance. Transnet has been hard at work ensuring the necessary railway maintenance is undertaken, and scheduling and planning trains to ensure capacity meets demand, as well as accommodating any other operational emergencies.
What the rail team can never prepare for, however, is the devastating effects of the theft and vandalism of critical economic infrastructure — overhead copper cables, signalling trackside equipment and underground cables and other rail equipment. The ripple effect — on customers, their supply chains, and on the economy broadly — cannot be overstated.
It is our view that theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure amounts to economic sabotage, and that stakeholders and law enforcement agencies must mount a stronger response to confront organised crime syndicates, whose activities are threatening to derail our country’s post Covid-19 economic recovery and employment creation efforts.
The following numbers illustrate the scale of the impact on Transnet of these twin scourges: Transnet Freight Rail has seen a 177% increase in cable theft over the past five years, with Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State and the North West emerging as the hotspots. The railway network in these areas is responsible for the transportation of grain, coal, chrome, ferrochrome, manganese, automotives and many other goods and commodities, all critical contributors to the country’s foreign revenue earnings.
In the first five months of 2021 there have been about 650 incidents a month. Due to the theft and vandalism, Transnet loses about 120km of overhead cables a month on its railway network. Tonnage lost has rocketed 343% over the past four years due to the cancellation of 3,245 trains, resulting in a financial loss of R670m.
The scourge of cable theft is not only limited to the railway sector. It also affects other critical institutions and organisations responsible for delivering public goods and services to our society, including electricity distribution and transmission, and telecommunications. The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) estimates that cable theft costs the economy R5bn-R7bn annually.
Transnet, and SA as a whole, cannot afford the exorbitant costs associated with safeguarding and repairing infrastructure and other assets — money that could be reinvested to expand infrastructure capacity. Nor can we afford a situation that may result in the interruption of security of supply, which is detrimental to the economy.
Transnet has introduced a number of interventions in the past year, including tactical deployment of security measures — both personnel and technology. Collaboration with the government, law enforcement authorities, other state-owned companies and the private sector is also beginning to yield positive results.
However, we must all redouble our efforts to ensure critical economic infrastructure is protected, to provide reliable, safe, and uninterrupted services to Transnet customers and the public. This is essential for the growth of sectors such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing, which rely on efficient network infrastructure.
For our part as Transnet, we commit to continue doing all we can to ensure no tonne gets left behind.
• Shezi is GM: group corporate affairs and spokesperson for Transnet.
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