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Western Cape News

29 May 2023

South Africa to Investigate U.S. Allegations of Arms Shipment to Russia

Simonstown harbor view - Credit: Adriaan

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a panel to investigate U.S. allegations that a Russian ship had collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town last year, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on May 11 that he was confident that a Russian ship, which docked at a naval base in Simonstown in the Western Cape in December last year, took aboard weapons from South Africa. An allegation South Africa has since denied.

30 Nov 2021

No Cruise Ship Cheer for Cape Town Amid Omicron Alarm

(Photo: Hapag-Lloyd Cruises)

The docking of the Europa passenger liner in Cape Town on Tuesday was meant to be a ribbon-cutting celebration marking the official start of the cruise ship season in South Africa’s top tourist hub, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.But international travel curbs on southern Africa, where the new Omicron coronavirus here variant was first identified, have blown expectations of a bumper tourist season out of the water.The multi-story luxury liner is the first to dock at…

30 Jun 2020

CMA CGM to Impose Emergency Surcharge at Cape Town Port

© Tupungato / Adobe Stock

CMA CGM, the world's fourth-largest container shipping line, will impose emergency congestion surcharges at Cape Town port in July due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus, it has told customers.From July 1 until further notice, it will impose a surcharge of $550 for 20-foot containers and reefers and a $1,100 surcharge for 40-foot containers and reefers, CMA said in the letter dated June 17 that was seen by Reuters.Western Cape province, which includes Cape Town, is the epicenter of South Africa's coronavirus outbreak…

14 Mar 2017

Denel, tkMS to Partner on Naval Ship Upgrades

As Denel gets ready to revive the Naval Dockyard facilities in Simonstown, the company is collaborating with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) for joint support of the South African Navy frigates and submarines. Denel, which is a global supplier of defense products and solutions, and tkMS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on board the SAS Amatola, in Rostock, Germany. The cooperation is based on the recognition of the critical importance of the operational availability of the South African Navy Fleet at all times. Denel’s Maritime division will take responsibility for maintenance and upgrades on three Heroine Class submarines (SAS Manthatisi, SAS Charlotte Maxeke and SAS Queen Modjadji) and four Valour Class Frigates (SAS Amatola, SAS Isandlwana, SAS Spioenkop and SAS Mendi).

11 Mar 2017

Denel-tkMS MOU for Submarine Upgrades

As Denel gets ready to revive the Naval Dockyard facilities in Simonstown, the company is collaborating with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH (tkMS) for joint support of the SA Navy frigates and submarines. Denel, which is a global supplier of world-class defence products and solutions, and tkMS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on board the SAS AMATOLA, in Rostock, Germany. The cooperation is based on the recognition of the critical importance of the operational availability of the South African Navy Fleet at all times. Denel’s Maritime division will take responsibility for maintenance and upgrades on three Heroine Class submarines (SAS MANTHATISI…

03 Nov 2016

S. Africa Becoming Preferred Destination for Ship Arrests

At the recent annual Maritime Law Conference (MLA) held at Arabella in the Western Cape, various prominent government and international speakers took to the floor to debate and discuss national global maritime phenomena including inter alia; the progress in handling international oil spillages, port congestion, salvage and vessel arrests. Progress and unity was evident amongst the highly respected panel of speakers including Captain Rufus Lekala (TNPA Chief Harbour Master), Captain Alan Reid, representing P&I interests, Sobantu Tilayi (South African Maritime Safety Authority) and Dumisani Ntuli (Department of Transport) who spoke of enhanced engagement amongst each department and coordinated efforts to increase efficiencies.

08 Sep 2015

Saldanha Bay Could be S.Africa's First LNG Import Terminal

Gas seen as key to help resolve power crisis; gas could be sourced from Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique. South Africa could build its first 20 billion rand ($1.4 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility at the west coast port of Saldanha Bay to feed gas-to-power projects aimed at easing chronic supply shortages, an official said on Tuesday. Importing LNG is among the options Africa's most developed economy is considering to diversify its energy sources away from coal and ease power shortfalls that have curbed growth. Several companies, including Shell, Mitsubishi and Sasol, are expected to bid for 3,126 megawatt (MW) gas-to-power projects in the first quarter of 2016, when exact details will become known.

26 Aug 2015

Western Cape Ports Now 'smartPORTS'

Port of Durban (Photo: TNPA)

The Ports of Cape Town and Saldanha became the latest to go live with Transnet National Ports Authority’s new R79 million web-based Integrated Port Management System (IPMS), first introduced at the pilot site, the Port of Durban in July. IPMS replaces manual processes and enables key port operations to managed online and in real time across TNPA’s eight commercial ports. All vessels arriving at the two Western Cape ports between August 26-31 will be allowed priority registration, provided vessels agents are trained.

01 Jul 2015

Transnet Awards Bid for Cape Town Cruise Terminal

Transnet National Ports Authority awarded the V&A Waterfront (Pty) Ltd the status of Preferred Bidder for the development of a cruise terminal at the Port of Cape Town, Transnet said on Tuesday. Once all negotiations are concluded, the V&A Waterfront will invest just under R179 million to finance, design, and develop the terminal. In addition, the agreement includes operation, maintenance and transfer of ownership of the facility back to TNPA after a period of 20 years. The facility will remain at E berth, Duncan Dock, in the Port of Cape Town. Once completed, it will be able to accommodate the port‟s current and future passenger vessel fleet. It is also envisaged that the upgraded facility will house value-added retail and hospitality services.

20 Apr 2015

Pollet to Lead R&D at Coldharbour Marine

Bruno Pollet (Photo: Coldharbour Marine)

Coldharbour Marine Ltd. has appointed Professor Bruno Pollet to head its R&D department. Bruno Pollet moves to Linby, Nottinghamshire from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa where he was Professor of Energy Materials and Systems and Director of the National DST Hydrogen South Africa Systems Competence Centre, an industry led R&D group with an emphasis on prototype development and manufacturing. Pollet’s first task will be to recruit and build a strong…

26 Nov 2013

IMO Honors Acts of Bravery

USCG aviation survival technicians Randy Haba and Daniel Todd were awarded for the rescue of 14 crew members aboard HMS Bounty during Hurricane Sandy.

American rescuers and a Chinese seafarer have been presented with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2013, during a special ceremony held on November 25, 2013 at IMO Headquarters in London. Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Randy J. Haba and Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Daniel J. Todd of the United States Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, were nominated by the Government of the United States…

15 Aug 2013

Salvors Plan to Fly Oil Off Stranded Bulk Carrier

Kiani Satu when she ran aground: Photo credit SAMSA

Marine salvors plan to airlift oil from the abandoned oil-leaking cargo ship 'Kiani Satu' stranded off the beach at Buffels Bay, near Knysna, on the Western Cape of South Africa. The Johannasburg online newspaper 'Times Live' citing SAMSA spokesman Captain Nigel Campbell, reports that salvors are currently drilling into [bunker] tanks to take the fuel oil out, but as it has not been heated for a week they plan to put it into plastic tanks and fly it off the ship using helicopters. The 168m bulk carrier has 330 tonnes of fuel on board and a cargo of 15,000 tonnes of rice.

23 Jul 2012

Damen to Build New Boats for Port of Salandha

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) recently awarded Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) preferred bidder status to build a pilot boat and a tug boat for the Port of Saldanha in the Western Cape. The vessels, customized for the South African market, includes a state of the art ship-handling Stan Tug 2006 and a Pilot Cutter 2706. The Port of Saldanha - South Africa's largest natural port with the deepest water – is one of the world's larger iron ore ports, having handled a total of 58.263 million tons of cargo, of which the major share was iron ore for export. With the terminal operating at its maximum, the port is continuing the expansion of its operations to meet the capacity needs ahead of demand.

05 Apr 2012

Belmet Boosts Productivity With Ongoing Investment

Cape Town, South Africa - In a move to bolster productivity and offer a broader range of solutions for its customers, Cape Town-based steel fabricator Belmet has recently invested over R 2.5million in new equipment at its Cape Town and Walvis Bay workshops. The company has been operating in the international offshore oil & gas, marine and industrial sectors for over two decades and today has an extensive customer base in Europe, North and South America and Africa. Following another year of growth, Belmet has purchased five new ESAB Origo MIG 502 multi-process welding machines with Miggytrac 1001 motorized tractors, in order to stay at the cutting edge of fabrication technology in the Western Cape.

06 May 2011

Milestone for Cape Town Container Terminal Expansion

South Africa’s state-owned freight transport and logistics giant Transnet Limited today celebrated a significant milestone in its R5.4 billion expansion of the Cape Town Container Terminal. On completion, the five-year project will double the terminal’s capacity to 1, 4 million TEUs per annum. Speaking at a ceremony attended by Public Enterprises Minister, Mr Malusi Gigaba, Group Chief Executive, Mr Brian Molefe, announced the company had completed major dredging, deepening and refurbishment work at Berth 602, the second of four berths to undergo such upgrades.

31 Mar 2011

Cape Town Terminal Welcomes End Of Windy Season

[CAPE TOWN – 31 March 2011]  The end of March should see a subsiding of the vicious south-easterly wind that has plagued the Cape and put Cape Town container terminal under serious pressure to keep cargo moving over the last few months. Just the first three months of 2011 have already seen 62 separate wind stoppages totalling 551 hours at the terminal – more than half of 2010’s full total of 964 hours lost to wind over 83 separate occasions. Around nine days or 219 hours were lost to wind in January, 220 hours in February and 101 in March.

07 Sep 2006

Repair Capacity Running Low in Cape Town

The Port of Cape Town is experiencing pressure on its ship-servicing and marine-surveyor services due to insufficient capacity, says Arthur James, head of maritime law at law firm Webber Wentzel Bowens, according to a report on www.businessday.co.za. James has warned that if nothing is done, the city’s port might soon lose lucrative business to other ports such as Walvis Bay, Luanda and Maputo, costing jobs and economic growth. He said the ship repairs and oil-rig maintenance sector contributed R1,5bn a year to Western Cape’s economy. It could support as many as 2500 jobs when a large oil rig, for example, was being repaired. “So it is a huge contributor to the economic success of the region,” he said. Right now, the repair facility was stretched to capacity, and work was being lost.