Transnet’s Challenges Must Not Be Hijacked for Private Agendas

 Transnet SOC Ltd (‘Transnet’) is aware of opportunistic elements who are using the current operational challenges faced by the organisation to unfortunately further their own agendas. 

As it addresses its challenges, Transnet remains committed to authentic stakeholder engagement and collaboration. However, it must be clear that those who owe Transnet money will have to pay, and the company will not be intimidated. Transnet will also no longer tolerate a distortion of public discourse by individuals who fail to disclose their true motives. 

In the case of its operations in Durban, Transnet meets with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Port Forum sessions, which are standing meetings every two months. In these meetings the parties discuss, among others, the Port’s performance and dependencies on all stakeholders to achieve the common goal of an improved Port for the benefit of all. The quarterly meetings of the Durban Chamber of Commerce Council, where Transnet has a representative, is another forum to tackle areas of mutual interest. 

It must also be emphasised that Transnet holds regular and ad-hoc meetings with many member bodies and stakeholders across all its operations, who are updated on any areas impacting them, and mitigation measures are put in place where required. Stakeholders are encouraged to utilise the structures in place to raise their concerns and have them duly addressed. These include the following: 

The daily engagements: 

• Daily OPS Meeting: held daily at 9am – chaired by Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) for all ports in SA where each terminal representative talks through the past day performance and then the forecast for operations. This is attended by numerous (up to 100) stakeholders and Transnet (TPT, TNPA) and other terminal operators (e.g. Bidvest, and others) 

The weekly engagements 

• Port of Durban Decongestion Meeting: held bi-weekly. chaired by TNPA for all ports in SA where each terminal representative talks through the past week performance and then mitigations to improve all port operations. This is attended by numerous (up to 100) stakeholders. 
• Weekly landside performance reviews: transporter landside forum meetings held between the TPT terminals and transporter stakeholders 
• Durban terminal regional truckers’ association meetings: Weekly meeting with affected transporters 
• Weekly washups are held with each shipping line on a bi-lateral basis. 
• Ad hoc meetings with cargo owners and shipping lines. 

It is public knowledge the Board of Transnet has been instructed by the Minister of Public Enterprises to develop a number of turnaround plans to improve efficiencies across the business, and work is underway in that regard. 

The Board will soon be providing the Minister with an update on the progress it is making and, as was indicated at the Transnet annual results presentation on 1 September 2023, will have a turnaround plan in place by the end of October 2023. 

This will outline the strategy for dealing with issues such as operational improvements, efficiencies, productivity improvements, funding constraints and how to restore the financial stability of Transnet. 

Transnet continues to be a critical enabler for the recovery of the South African economy and is determined to continue playing the role of accelerating economic growth by improving logistics efficiencies, regardless of the motives of some of its detractors.