SDCEA welcomes R4billion contract termination
Coordinator of SDCEA Desmond D’Sa, who was against the contract from the start, said the contract should not have been awarded in the first place.
A R4billion contract awarded to Transnet to deepen the berths in the city’s port has been terminated, much to the joy of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA).
Coordinator of SDCEA Desmond D’Sa, who was against the contract from the start said the contract should not have been awarded in the first place and that the project was against the interests of the local communities.
“On or about 18 November 2018, Transnet received an unsolicited report from “Forensics for Justice”, with allegations of procurement irregularities on the project. Transnet issued a Project Manager Instruction to the Contractor on the 20 November 2018 to “stop all works,” said Transnet spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe.
According to Transnet, the terminated contract was for the Main Marine Construction Works package, which forms part of the overall Durban Container Terminal Berth Deepening and Lengthening Project. The Durban Container Terminal Berth Deepening and Lengthening Project is aimed at creating deeper berths at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2’s North Quay and enabling the Port of Durban to accommodate newer generation container vessels by 2023.
Molatwane confirmed that on 20 February 2019, the contractor issued Transnet with a notice of termination. “In the best interest of both parties, Transnet accepted the contractor’s notice of termination and issued CMI Emtateni JV a termination certificate on 16 April 2019. Transnet’s internal forensic investigations are still ongoing and have not been concluded. Transnet is currently reassessing a way forward on the main marine contract scope of works in order to minimise any further delays in realising the benefits of the project.”
The overall R7 billion mega project would help to sustain the existing container operations at the Port of Durban, specifically DCT Berths 203 to 205. “At the Port of Durban, which handles approximately 65 per cent of the total containerised cargo of South Africa, there is a critical need to provide modern, safe, deeper and longer container berths to accommodate the ever-increasing size of container vessels we are now servicing. This will ensure that the flagship Port of Durban and South Africa as a whole remain competitive within the industry, while catering safely for the needs of the marine sector,” explained Molatwane.
Desmond has always maintained his position of being in support of the environment’s best interests and has protested against the expansion of the port over the past few years.
“As SDCEA we have always been against development that could create havoc at the port for the people and for marine life as well as development that requires the use of fossil fuels, such as the one in mention. I am happy about this termination and encourage that officials behind such big developmental projects consider new sustainable methods as well as consult civil society in the decisions that also concern them,” he said.
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