The South African citrus industry has been very frank in its concern at how the season is progressing at Durban port – again. A planned strike by labour unions at various ports was yesterday averted by a court interdict obtained by the Transnet National Ports Authority.

Usually the situation at Durban Harbour is the citrus industry’s greatest cause for concern but this season the situation at the Port Elizabeth container terminal (PECT) and the new Ngqura (Coega) container terminals (NCT) is “absolute chaos” and “a major crisis”, according to various citrus exporters, affecting fruit exports from the region. Exports are happening but at a very slow pace and if the situation isn’t rectified soon, the citrus industry warns, it could take weeks to stabilise.

Harbour personnel are cautiously optimistic that the situation will start improving at Ngqura Port Terminal (NPT), but it will take two weeks, at the least, to get back on schedule. Staffing shortages and low productivity at all of the country’s containers terminals mean that Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) will have to work around the clock to stabilise the situation and avoid a severe build-up of vessels that cannot get berthing slots.