The Eastern Cape has an important role to play in achieving government’s objective of 6% economic growth by 2014, and its ports will be the catalyst to increase growth in the region.

This was the word from the department of trade and industry yesterday at a breakfast meeting to celebrate World Maritime Day. The breakfast was hosted by the National Ports Authority.

DTI acting regional director for the Eastern Cape Siya Jobodwana, said the province’s two industrial development zones had been identified as key drivers of export growth.

He noted that Richards Bay handled the bulk of exports last year. The Port Elizabeth and East London ports were responsible for exports worth 1,75% of GDP.

It was for this reason that government was investing in infrastructure to lead to the target of 6% growth by 2014.

“Because the 6% is not something we need to achieve in 12 months, we are looking at speeding that up, leading to 2014,” said Jobodwana.

“Infrastructure is one of the crucial investments that we need to make so that we can absorb the volumes when they come in. That is the type of export-led growth that we need. The Richards Bay port was the highest-volume port last year. So we want to make sure Port Elizabeth, as well, can be up to global standards.”

There was a concerted effort, he said, to broaden the economic base to regions such as the Eastern Cape, to balance growth against the traditional powerhouse of Gauteng.

“We decided that, through the IDZs, it would be crucial for us to make sure we upgrade the harbour at Port Elizabeth, together with Coega.

“We have a long-term vision on the growth, but we need to make sure we reach 6% growth before 2014.”

Jobodwana said another initiative currently being undertaken by DTI was to establish a country matrix model. This tool would be used to identify regions requiring goods and services that could be supplied from South Africa.

He said South African ports handled 13 000 vessels last year, demonstrating the importance of this infrastructure to the economy as a whole.

“We are operating in a global environment, we need to make sure we have the capacity. We cannot afford to have ports that are not up to international standard,” Jobodwana said.

The removal of the giant platforms that supported the cranes responsible for the building of the eastern and western breakwaters at the Port of Ngqura has marked the end of the heavy-duty construction era at the site.

The platforms were specially designed by Mammoet to allow trucks to pass underneath the cranes while construction of the two mammoth breakwaters of the port took place. Each crane had the capacity to lift up to 600 tons, and together they placed about 26,000 dolosse along the two breakwaters.

"The three crane platforms have been dismantled and halved for transport to a special lay-down area in Perseverance until shipping can be arranged," said Mammoet project manager Paul Joubert.

He said each platform section weighed 65 tons and was five metres wide by 10 metres long. This made it necessary to transport the platform sections under police and traffic escort. Transportation of the various sections began on Wednesday and is scheduled to continue until late on Friday afternoon.

"Two of the cranes will remain at the port for now. One will be used to place the final dolosse on the eastern breakwater once the capping (laying down of a concrete surface) has been completed, and a second will be used to break down the temporary sand bypass system," said Joubert.

He said the third crane had been moved to the Volkswagen SA premises recently to assist in the construction of the company's new R750-million paint shop.

"All three cranes are expected to have completed their operational duties within the next five months, after which two will be transported to new contracts outside the country, while the third will remain within the country's borders as it is a South African machine," he said.

Now that heavy-duty construction has come to an end, the number of workers employed full-time at the port had dropped from 2,500 at its peak to 400, according to National Ports Authority resident engineer Chris Matchett.

Matchett said phase one of the port project should be completed between February and March next year.

"The western breakwater, which extends 1,125km out, has been capped and is as good as complete. The eastern breakwater is taking slightly longer, but we expect to have completed the capping process by February next year," he said.

Matchett explained that the eastern breakwater, which extends 2,6km into the sea, was taking slightly longer as the contractors had to work in phases.

"Unlike the western breakwater, which has the dry bulk terminal next to it providing easy access, the contractors have a much more complex task on the eastern breakwater. They have to work from one end to the other, laying the cement, waiting for it to dry, then using the dry area as a starting point for the next part," he said.

Matchett estimated that the port would see commercial activity by 2008, subject to a tight schedule of infrastructure implementation. The government is spending about R2,6-billion on the port and other improvements in and adjacent to the Coega industrial development zone.