Cape Town — President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured that the rail network crisis will be addressed, with a commitment to removing trucks from the roads to optimize operations at Richard’s Bay port.
The issues stem from years of neglect in maintaining locomotives and equipment, causing congestion on roads and at sea, Ramaphosa said while addressing the media on Thursday, according to IOL.
Ramaphosa was in Richard’s Bay to address the rail network crisis.
Cosatu and it’s unions have been complaining about the destruction of the rail networks, leading to more coal transport on the roads, while the National Union of Mineworkers said this threatened the coal miners, who face job losses due to less coal rail transport.
Ramaphosa said there were plans in place to to fix the port and reduce inefficiencies, and that Public Enterprise Minister, Pravin Gordhan, and Transet, have a plan in place.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is on an oversight visit to the Transnet coal terminal in Richards Bay Port to assess the extent of the backlog of trucks and meet officials. The delays are said to be costing the economy millions. @ZiyandaNgcobo reports.
Watch: https://t.co/1FYXjQZHtj pic.twitter.com/VR9SVCgvwc
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 23, 2023
“Transnet has a lot of challenges. Challenges that emanate from the past. In a number of instances, ancient machinery or equipment; machinery that has not been maintained. But what I was really pleased about is that they have a plan called a roadmap.”
“Minister Gordhan has been working through all these matters with them, the acting CEO, and various executives. I do believe that in a while we are going to be getting rid of the backlog on the road,” the report quoted the president as saying.
Accoring to SABC News, Ramaphosa said that State Capture was among the causes of the governments’ delay in dealing with the challenges Transnet faced.
As a result, Transnet decided to suspend the receiving of goods via road transport into the Richards Bay Mineral Port Terminal. This decision comes after the uMhlathuze Municipality threatened to litigate the government and Transnet, citing that they have lost millions of rands managing the congestion.
“Yes it has taken some time … diagnostic process had to take place and some of the challenges we are dealing with have been in the making for quite a while. Part of them were part of the state capture process that we have been through and we are now into top gear and we are going to resolve this problem,” Ramaphosa said.
He said that Transnet had brought in the private sector to assist port operations and that Transnet will run various operations at the port with the private sector.
Ramaphosa said he wanted to see problems resolved byearly next year.
🎥 President @CyrilRamaphosa at the Transnet Port of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this morning.
The President was received by KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Transnet AGCE Ms. Michelle Phillips ahead of the briefing on… pic.twitter.com/riAN4ncOVJ
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) November 23, 2023
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
