Sona 2024: Transnet working hard to resolve port issues, says Ramaphosa

TRANSNET has reduced the backlog of ships to be serviced at the Port of Durban to 12 vessels by the end of January from more than 60 vessels in the middle of November as the utility works to reduce the issues at the ports, President Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday.

He was referring to the problems at South Africa’s ports that are crippling South Africa’s export potential, resulting in delays in imports and causing substantial additional expenses for businesses. The port of Cape Town also said separately this week, that it had reduced its backlog of ships waiting to berth to one vessel.

Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) last night they were working to fix the rail and port infrastructural logjams, such as for example, Transnet appointing an international operators to operate and expand the major terminal in the port of Durban.

He said Transnet was also going to allow private operators to access the rail system and introduced improved rail services.

With the rising conflict in the Red Sea, many ships were now opting to pass the country instead of using the Suez Canal, and this was going to provide bunkering and other opportunities for South African companies, he said.

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