PUBLISHER: Money Web (www.moneyweb.co.za)
Even non-ship watchers will have noticed the huge number of vessels anchored offshore on Friday – there were more than 60.
Transnet says it will take seven to 15 weeks to clear the 63 vessels at anchor off the Port of Durban, with some importers saying delays in offloading containers mean they will miss the Christmas rush.
Of these 63 vessels, 20 are destined for the Durban Container Terminals (DCT) Pier 1 and Pier 2, managed by Transnet Port Terminals (TPT).
In a statement on Friday, Transnet said several initiatives had been implemented to clear the backlog. “With all initiatives employed, it would take Pier 1 seven weeks to clear the backlog and 15 weeks for Pier 2 – or less,” the statement said.