UTransnet unikeza u-Grindrod igunya lokulawula ichweba laseRichards Bay

I-Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) iqoke i-Grindrod yaseNingizimu Afrika njengomfaki-sicelo okhethwayo wokuthuthukisa nokusebenzisa indawo yokuphatha amabhokisi echwebeni lase-Richards Bay, njengengxenye yezinhlelo zokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kwechweba kanye namazinga okusebenza. Lokhu kuza njengoba iTransnet iqala isu lokuheha abadlali abaningi bemboni ezimele ekuthuthukisweni nasekugcinweni kokunakekelwa kwengqalasizinda yamachweba njengengxenye yezinguquko zesakhiwo ngenxa yezinkinga zezimali.

I-TNPA izolo ithe lokhu kuthuthukiswa kuzokwenza ukuthi kukhule umthamo wokuthwala amakhonteyna asechwebeni ukusuka ku-50 000 wamafidi alingana namamitha angamashumi amabili (TEUs) kuya ku-200 000 TEUs ngonyaka, ngokuhambisana nohlelo oluyinhloko lwamachweba wesifundazwe. I-Grindrod SA isesimweni esihle sokuhola ukuthuthukiswa nokusebenza kwalesi sikhungo, okuhlelwe ukuthi siqale ukusebenza ngo-2027.

Lo msebenzi ubandakanya ukutshalwa kwezimali okulinganiselwa ku-R285 million, okuzothuthukisa kakhulu imboni yamakhonteyina kulesi sifunda.
IGrindrod SA ihlose ukusebenzisana ne-Eyamakhosi Resources, okuyinkampani yasendaweni ngaphansi kukaMasipala waseMhlathuze, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi imihlomulo yalolu hlelo ifinyelela nasemphakathini wendawo.

“Leli yigxathu elibalulekile emizamweni yethu yokuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda kanye namandla echweba laseRichards Bay. Siyaqiniseka ukuthi ulwazi nokuzinikela kwe-Grindrod South Africa ebudlelwaneni basekhaya kuzoqhuba impumelelo yalesi sikhungo, kulethe izinzuzo ezinkulu kwezomnotho nezokuhlela esifundeni,” kusho ibamba le-CEO ye-TNPA, u-Advocate Phyllis Difeto.

Indawo ekahle yesikhungo esihlongozwayo sokuphatha amakhonteyna izosebenza kahle ezindaweni ezisenyakatho yeKwaZulu-Natal, ihlinzekele ukusondela emakethe yasemazweni angaphandle. Lokhu kumiswa kulindeleke ukuthi kunciphise izindleko zezokuthutha futhi kunciphise izikhathi zokuhola kwezokuthutha, okuzuzisa kokubili umnotho wasendaweni nowesifunda.

“Sizizwa sihloniphekile ngokuklonyeliswa ngesikhundla esinconyiwe sokuthuthukisa futhi sisebenzise indawo yokuphatha amakhonteyna echwebeni laseRichards Bay. Sikholelwa ukuthi kuzoba nomthelela omkhulu kwezohwebo emhlabeni kanye nokukhula komnotho wesifunda, kube neqhaza ekuqashweni nasekufukuleni imiphakathi yasendaweni,” kusho isikhulu esiphezulu sakwaGrindrod uXolani Mbambo.