
TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return
- First View : ABY VIRGINIA
- SA port statistics for August now available
- Transnet to appear before Parliamentary Committee over loco acquisition
- Kenya Ports Authority takes over Shimoni and Kisumu ports
- SAMSA begins investigation into Robben Island ferry incident
- RFA Mounts Bay begins support in the Turks and Caicos Islands
- A reflection: LISW comes of age, hailed as the best yet
- Durban conference on country’s potential to build strong gas economy
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : ARDMORE ENGINEER
SEND NEWS REPORTS AND PRESS RELEASES TO
info@africaports.co.za
News continues below

The bulk carrier ABY VIRGINIA (50,175-dwt) seen arriving at Lyttelton in New Zealand to take on a part load of coal before topping off at Gladstone. Built in 2001 at the Mitsui Ichihara Engineering & Shipbuilding yard at Ichibara, Japan, the bulk carrier is owned and managed by Kassian Maritime Navigation of Athens, Greece and is flagged in the Marshall Islands. This picture is by Alan Calvert
News continues below
SA PORT STATISTICS FOR AUGUST NOW AVAILABLE

Port statistics for the month of August 2017, covering the eight commercial ports under the administration of Transnet National Ports Authority, are now available.
Total cargo handled at all eight ports during the past month amounted to 21.577 million tons, compared with the previous month (July 2017) when 25.274 million tons of cargo was handled, reflecting a sharp decrease in throughput of 3.697 million tonnes month on month – an alarming result considering that August is usually one of South Africa’s busiest months for the ports.
It was at this time that Transnet Freight Rail also delivered…[restrict] over seven million tonnes of coal to Richards Bay, the first time that such an achievement has been made. Note that this was for coal delivered to RBCT and the port, not necessarily to be exported in that same period, hence we see that the port handled a total of just less than 7 million tonnes of all products for the month.
By comparison Richards Bay handled no less than 8.999mt of cargo in July compared with 9.392mt the month before.
The other KZN port, Durban, handled 6.250 mt, which is down from the 6.821 million tons handled in July. We know there are container issues at the Durban Container Terminal, with congestion and delays and this has been reflected in diverted traffic swelling the throughput at Ngqura, where for the first time the Eastern Cape port exceeded the million tons mark, reaching 1.620mt. If combined with the 856,000 tonnes handled at nearby Port Elizabeth the twin Eastern Cape ports have handled almost 2.5 million tonnes for the month – highly impressive no matter what the cause.
The Port of Saldanha was another port down in comparison with July – 4.339mt compared with 5.833mt in July. This is a further reflection of the fluctuating cargo stats at this Western Cape port.
At Cape Town the port maintained a ‘status quo’ achieving 1.245mt for August compared with 1.253mt in July, a slight decrease.
Container volumes nationally were 461,361 TEU in August, against 409,914 TEU in July and 392,904 TEU in June – a general improvement in container volumes which is entirely in line with seasonal expectations.
The above statements reflect comparisons with the previous month. For detailed comparison with the previous year -August 2016 – please go HERE; afterwards use your BACKSPACE button to return to this page.
These statistical reports on Africa PORTS & SHIPS are arrived at using an adjustment on the overall tonnage compared to those kindly provided by Transnet. This is to include containers by weight; an adjustment necessary because Transnet NPA measures containers by the number of TEUs and does not reflect the weight which unfortunately undervalues the ports.
To arrive at such a calculation, PORTS & SHIPS uses an average of 13.5 tonnes per TEU, which probably does involve some under-reporting. PORTS & SHIPS will continue to emphasise this distinction, without which South African ports would be seriously under-reported internationally and locally.
Port Statistics continue below
Figures for the respective ports during August 2017 are:
Cargo handled by tonnes during August 2017, including containers by weight
PORT | August 2017 million tonnes |
Richards Bay | 6.941 |
Durban | 6.250 |
Saldanha Bay | 4.339 |
Cape Town | 1.246 |
Port Elizabeth | 0.856 |
Ngqura | 1.620 |
Mossel Bay | 0.165 |
East London | 0.160 |
Total all ports | 21.577 million tonnes |
CONTAINERS (measured by TEUs) during August 2017
(TEUs include Deepsea, Coastal, Transship and empty containers all subject to being invoiced by NPA
PORT | August 2017 TEUs |
Durban | 245,790 |
Cape Town | 72,324 |
Port Elizabeth | 17,212 |
Ngqura | 120,006 |
East London | 5,416 |
Richards Bay | 613 |
Total all ports | 461,361 TEU |
SHIP CALLS for August 2017
PORT | August 2017 vessels | gross tons |
Durban | 250 | 8,638,304 |
Cape Town | 111 | 3,177,862/td> |
Richards Bay | 123 | 3,960,779 |
Port Elizabeth | 63 | 1,915,693 |
Saldanha Bay | 34 | 1,683,741 |
Ngqura | 44 | 2,604,465 |
East London | 18 | 520,772 |
Mossel Bay | 9 | 96,877 |
Total ship calls | 652 | 22,598,493 |
— source TNPA, with adjustments made by africa Ports & Ships to include container tonnages [/restrict]
News continues below
TRANSNET TO APPEAR BEFORE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ENQUIRY OVER LOCO ACQUISITION

Transnet is to appear before a Parliamentary Committee Inquiry following an agreement reached this week by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.
This is in terms of National Assembly Rule 227, 1 (c), into the Transnet acquisition of 1064 locomotives at a reported cost of R50 billion.
Questions have arisen after disclosures by the so-called email leaks that claim the involvement of the Gupta brothers who are alleged to have…[restrict] benefited to the tune of R5.3 billion in kickbacks from China’s South Rail via an associate of the Gupta’s, Salim Essa’s Tequesta Group.
Another issue raised before the Portfolio Committee is the claim that there are no measures in place to validate local content provisions in each locomotive as well as no penalty clauses for failure to meet a 55%-60% target for local content.
The Democratic Alliance’s MP and Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, Dean Macpherson, said yesterday that Transnet had refused to provide him with the shareholders of original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and suppliers related to this contract.
He questioned what the relationship was between Transnet Group CEO Mr Siyabonga Gama and Salem Essa in respect to the contracts; why Transnet has ignored government department instructions to adhere to local content and designation provisions without consequence over the loco procurement; and to what effect the price inflation by the Gupta’s has had on the contract, with up to R10 million per locomotive added on.
“The Democratic Alliance welcomes an agreement today by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry for a Parliamentary Committee Inquiry, in terms of National Assembly Rule 227, 1 (c), into the Transnet acquisition of 1064 locomotives at a cost of R50 billion,” said Macpherson.
This, he said, was after two failed attempts at extracting answers from a “clearly belligerent” Transnet CEO, Siyabonga Gama, who appeared before the committee to answer the many allegations that have dogged this programme.
“We know that State Owned Enterprises like Transnet have become ground zero for the Gupta’s to rob and loot South Africa of its resources. It simply cannot be that Transnet is allowed to get away with protecting one family at the expense of good governance and fighting corruption.”
Macpherson said that only a committee inquiry can get to the bottom of what he called a mess and to bring accountability to something which is costing South Africans billions.
“The Democratic Alliance will fight hard to ensure that the veil of secrecy around these contracts is finally lifted and those that have stolen money are held accountable,” he said.[/restrict]
News continues below
KENYA PORTS AUTHORITY TAKES OVER SHIMONI AND KISUMU PORTS
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will be assuming control over two ports – Shimoni Port on Kwale’s Indian Ocean coast, and Kisumu on the banks of Lake Victoria, says a report in Standard Digital.
The two ports are to undergo redevelopment after which KPA will take full control and manage them along with the other ports for which they are responsible.
Shimoni is currently administered…[restrict] by several government departments, including Kenya Wildlife Services and the Immigration Department which all have a say in its operation. The small port at Shimoni trades with mainly with Zanzibar and Pemba, both in Tanzania.
The port at Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria has until now come under the administration of Kenya Railways. With the construction of the standard gauge railway, which will be reaching Kisumu in the coming future, the port is expected to take on greater responsibility as trade with the neighbouring states on Lake Victoria is further developed.
KPA Chairman Marsden Madoka said surveys on the two facilities had been carried out and consultants had already compiled reports advising the way forward.
According to KPA Managing Director Catherine Mturi-Wairi, the KPA in 2016 handled 27.26 million tonnes of cargo, an increase on the 26.73 million tonnes handled in 2015, a growth of 2.4 percent.
Container traffic improved from 1.7 million TEUs in 2015 to 1.091 million tons in 2016, an increase of 15,253 TEUs.
“Performance in the first seven months of this year has also been promising as we have continued to witness an overall positive growth compared to last year’s corresponding period,” she said.
In this period the port handled 17.52 million tonnes up from 15.66 million registered in the corresponding period in 2016.

source: Standard Digital[/restrict]
News continues below
SAMSA BEGINS INVESTIGATION INTO ROBBEN ISLAND FERRY INCIDENT

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident involving a tourists cruise ferry in Cape Town from which about 60 people had to be rescued after it got into trouble off Robben Island on Friday, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has confirmed.
According to Captain Pierre Schutz, a senior ships examiner (deck) and deputy Principal Officer at SAMSA’s Cape Town Office, the incident involving the ferry named Thandi occurred on Friday afternoon, shortly after lunch, while it was returning from Robben Island to the port of Cape Town, with about 64 passengers on board and a crew of five.
The number of passengers and crew on board has been corrected due to the erroneous inclusion of some crew members of the Thandi’s sister ferry, the Madiba I who assisted with the passenger rescue.
The vessel is owned and managed by Silver Buckle Trade 21, said Capt Schultz.
He said that according to preliminary reports, the drama began at about 2pm (CAT) after the ferry, packed with passengers, and sailing over a choppy sea due to a surge of wind over the Atlantic Ocean, began taking water over the bow.
“She was taking water over the bow due to the swell and wind when the port engine room bilge alarm sounded.
“A crew member attended and reported to the skipper that the bilge pump couldn’t cope. A ‘May Day’ (distress call) was raised. At this stage the forward windows of the vessel were apparently broken by wave action. The main life raft was apparently swept away,” said Capt Schultz.
He said at that point, at approximately 2.18pm, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was activated and shortly thereafter, all the passengers and crew were rescued.
“This involved transfer to multiple vessels, principally the Madiba 1 and all passengers and crew were landed at Mandela Gateway by approximately 4pm. SAMSA has initiated a preliminary inquiry to determine the cause of the incident,” said Capt Schultz.
The vessel remains afloat and was secured at Murray Harbour on Robben Island. source: SAMSA
Meanwhile, Western Cape MEC, Alan Wind, has commended all those involved for their management of the incident.
He said that the crew of the Thandi immediately radioed for assistance, and there was a swift response from key rescue teams. The NSRI was on scene, once again delivering a world-class service. The NSRI emergency team evacuated passengers to the Madiba 1 vessel, which also speedily heeded the distress call.
“I am thankful that none of the passengers or crew were injured during this incident.
“Tourism is one of our biggest economic drivers, sustaining more than 200,000 jobs in our province. We offer visitors a range of unique and diverse experiences. This is why international spend has grown by R4 billion in three years. Central to our commitment to service excellence is being able to respond appropriately when things go wrong.
“We know our Cape of Storms can be unpredictable. That is why it is critical that we have the necessary risk response plans in place. Because of their own preparedness, the skipper and crew were able to act swiftly and professionally,” Wind said.
News continues below
RFA MOUNTS BAY BEGINS SUPPORT IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

It was reported by the (UK) Ministry of Defence on 18 September that Royal Fleet Auxiliary MOUNTS BAY has begun delivering support to Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in support of 3 Commando Brigade personnel from 40 Commando Royal Marines and 59 Commando Royal Engineers.
Mounts Bay (illustrated below) offloaded a raft known as…[restrict] a Mexifloat which is capable of landing heavy machinery, men and stores across a beach. This task included much required building material, JCB diggers and transport. Within hours of unloading the cargo the Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief troop from RFA Mounts Bay were setting about clearing debris and damaged roofing from the local primary school.
The school, E L Simons Primary, received a battering from Hurricane Irma and lost 40ft sections of its roof. Internally the school sustained significant losses to its supplies and teaching materials. Clearance effort by the team will allow repair work to begin in the coming days so that the infants on the island can return to school.
Lieutenant Steve Dunning, OC of the Combined Joint Operation Combat Camera Team, sent to record the devastation and building work commented: “The level of devastation to the school is heart wrenching as this school not only provides the children with a good education, it also acts a central point for the community to interact alongside the future population of the island.”
At the time of writing commando engineers continued with the re-establishment of some Turks and Caicos Island government buildings on the island. This work is vital in assisting the local authorities in coordination of relief effort.[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

News continues below
A REFLECTION: LISW COMES OF AGE, HAILED AS THE BEST YET
London International Shipping Week 2017 held from 11 to 15 September has been hailed a resounding success with thousands of global shipping industry leaders attending more than 160 official events throughout the week.
Initial estimates place the number of UK and international visitors at over 15,000 but this figure could rise when the number of unofficial events are considered.
Such was the international interest in the week that…[restrict] #LISW17; #LISW2017; and @LISW17Official trended on Twitter twice during the week, with an estimated 11.2 million user twitters reach.
Visitors from over 50 countries attended the week, including 15 ministers from foreign governments, for example, those of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Ghana.
The UK government used the week to host bilateral meetings with politicians and senior industry figures to explore partnerships, future opportunities outside the European Union and examine how to help significantly boost maritime exports.

It really was a week of business with all event organisers reporting very strong attendances at their events. Such was the interest of the varied subject matter under discussion and the high quality of the venues, that the opinion was that London International Shipping Week had come of age and was truly a global must-attend event.
Reflecting on the successes of the past week, Jeremy Penn, Chairman of the LISW17 Steering Group, paid tribute to the strong cooperation that existed between Government and industry. He said: “LISW17 was bigger and stronger than the previous events in 2015 and 2013 and this reflects not only the importance of government and industry cooperation in helping to promote London and the UK’s prominent role in world shipping, but also the realisation by shipping that London is firmly at the heart of this global industry.”
More than 550 people attended the official LISW17 flagship conference on 14 September while just under 1,000 guests and VIPs attended the Gala Dinner in the evening. Both were held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane.
Sean Moloney and Llewellyn Bankes-Hughes, Directors of the event organisers Shipping Innovation concluded by saying: “The buy in to LISW17 by industry and government – not just in the UK but globally – has been astounding. While we were anticipating a very strong event, boosted by the attention surrounding Brexit as well as the green shoots of recovery in many key shipping sectors, it is true to say that the actual outcome far exceeds our expectations.”[/restrict]
Edited by Paul Ridgway
London
News continues below
Send your Press Releases here info@africaports.co.za and marked PRESS RELEASE. Provided they are considered appropriate to our readers we will either turn them into a story, or publish them here.
DURBAN CONFERENCE ON COUNTRY’S POTENTIAL TO BUILD STRONG GAS ECONOMY
London: 18 September 18, 2017: A conference taking place in Durban from 9-11 October is to welcome Mmamoloko Kubayi, Minister of Energy for South Africa alongside international partners along the value chain to explore South Africa’s aspirations to build an energy hub for gas cooperation.
The International Gas Cooperation Summit (IGCS) ( www.IGCS-SA.com) evolves from the ‘South Africa: Gas Options’ meetings held in Cape Town in 2015 & 2016.
This meeting will bring together principal government and public sector, gas developers, institutional investors and technology providers to explore how natural gas can play a greater role in South Africa’s energy mix and support the industrial and economic development goals of the country.
EnergyNet’s Anna Gorzkowska commented, “When we launched IGCS at the South Africa: Gas Options meeting last year in Cape Town, we knew that the landscape was changing and the discussion going forward would be broader to include downstream gas utilisation. We’re therefore delighted to have got the timing of this meeting right – there is still so much interest not only in the gas for power programme, but the massive infrastructure and energy projects happening as a result of those anchor discussions.”
Endorsing the meeting are the South African IPP Office, NERSA, Transnet and CSIR. Cheniere, KPMG and White & Case have confirmed as Lead Sponsors, with further private sector support from DBSA, ENGIE, Fieldstone Africa, Webber Wentzel, Nedbank, AIIM, Ansaldo Energia, Clarke Energy, Herbert Smith Freehills, Power Africa, Norton Rose Fulbright and Wärtsilä, demonstrating their central role in shaping the gas economy of South Africa.
The next opportunity
IGCS will showcase gas procurement and utilisation projects and strategies, bringing together decision makers who can lay the cornerstone of the region’s success and enable South Africa to become an energy hub to support industrial development across the region. The agenda will focus on the global gas outlook for Southern Africa, case studies on modelling a gas economy, how to accelerate gas infrastructure and the cost of diving into downstream.
A special conference for the Black Industrialists Programme with its major stakeholders will take place alongside the broader meeting, drawing on partners from the last two Gas Options meetings to continue to support the crucial objectives for both international and national investors.
Venue for the conference is the Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani on Durban’s Golden Mile. Website www.IGCS-SA.com – email Amy Offorsd (marketing manager) Amy.Offord@EnergyNet.co.uk – Telephone: +44 (0)20 7384 8068
News continues below
GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY
in partnership with – APO
News continues below
TO ADVERTISE HERE
Request a Rate Card from info@africaports.co.za
EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT
Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port
Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.
In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.
You can access this information, including the list of ports covered, by going HERE remember to use your BACKSPACE to return to this page.
News continues below
CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES
QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.
Naval News
Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.
PICS OF THE DAY : ARDMORE ENGINEER
Ardmore Engineer. Pictures: Keith Betts
The oil tanker ARDMORE ENGINEER (50,862-dwt) is shown sailing from Durban last Friday. The 183-metre long, 32m wide tanker is owned by interests registered in the Marshall Islands where the ship is also registered. She is managed by Ardmore Shipping (Bermuda) Limited with technical management from Anglo Ardmore Ship Management of Hong Kong. The ship was built by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co Ltd and delivered in 2014 – her first name was then FRONT MERSEY. Ardmore Shipping has a fleet of about 27 modern tankers, with an average age of just four years. These pictures were taken by Keith Betts
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
– – Max Ehrmann, ‘Desiderata’
–
ADVERTISING
For a Rate Card please contact us at info@africaports.co.za
Don’t forget to send us your news and press releases for inclusion in the News Bulletins. Shipping related pictures submitted by readers are always welcome. Email to info@africaports.co.za
SHIP PHOTOGRAPHERS Colour photographs and slides for sale of a variety of ships. |
Thousands of items listed featuring famous passenger liners of the past to cruise ships of today, freighters, container vessels, tankers, bulkers, naval and research vessels.
P O BOX 809, CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA
snai@worldonline.co.za
http://home.worldonline.co.za/~snai
South Africa’s most comprehensive Directory of Maritime Services will shortly be listed on this site. Please advise if you’d like your company to be included. To sign up for a free listing contact info@africaports.co.za or register online |
