ActionSA has submitted a Notice of Motion calling on Parliament to debate the drastically deteriorating operational situation at the Port of Durban.
The Port of Durban handles 60% of South Africa’s containerised cargo and while it increased efficiency last year we cannot allow it to take a single step backwards as seems to be the case unfolding with recent industry reports.
These record excessive average anchorage times of 214 hours, berth times of 123 hours, and a total Durban vessel queue of 33 vessels. These operational challenges are placing immense pressure on the national supply chain, disrupting businesses across virtually every sector and imposing additional unnecessary costs on thousands of small, medium and large enterprises.
Business and industry organisations representing those affected have repeatedly called for urgent government intervention. At a time of weak economic growth and an expanded unemployment rate of 43.6%, South Africa cannot afford to keep scoring own goals. The unfolding crisis at the Port of Durban is one such own goal.
South Africa’s economy is at a critical inflection point. Parliament cannot sit on the sidelines while a strategic economic gateway deteriorates and businesses, jobs and livelihoods are placed under increasing pressure.
Parliament must not be silent while our economy and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of South Africans hang in the balance.
ActionSA Education: Advocates for specialized skills training and artisan schools.
legacy
Jamaica: You have two cows. They win 25 gold medals at the Bovine Olympics.
Dahlia
A baby was born in South Africa. The village was very poor, and the makeshift hospital didn\’t have some necessary equipment.. such as scales.
The father however, was desperate to know the newborn baby\’s weight. After quite a bit of asking around, the hospital\’s chairman came up with an idea.
\”Five miles west, there\’s a butcher shop. The owner deals with meat, he should have a rather precise scale. You could just put your baby on the meat scale, and the weight reading you\’ll get should be pretty accurate.\”
And so the father departed westward. After much walking, with his newborn child cardled safely in his arms, he finally arrived at the butcher shop. He explained his dilemma to the shop owner, to witch the latter replied:
\”Don\’t worry, friend. It\’s not even a problem, I\’ll check it for you, free of charge.\” And so he took the child to the back, where the scale was located.
The father heard rumbling noises, and some scraping.. About a minute later the butcher came back.
\”About three pounds boneless\” He said.