Provincial & National

12 August 2020

As of 1 pm on 12 August, the Western Cape has 6857 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 99074 confirmed cases and 88 734 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 4939 (4714 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 28 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3482. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

Closure of Khayelitsha field hospital:

Today, Dr Keith Cloete and I visited the Thusong Centre in Khayelitsha where the team from Medicins Sans Frontiers are busy packing up the 60 bed field hospital they established there earlier this year. The hospital opened its doors at the beginning of June when cases in the area were starting to peak, and played an important part in our response to COVID-19 in Khayelitsha.

In all, the hospital admitted 241 patients and sadly, recorded 34 deaths in the eight weeks it was operational. The team from MSF will now move on to other provinces including the Eastern Cape and KZN to offer their support.

This field hospital was the first to open in our province, worked closely with the Khayelitsha Hospital across the road and played an important role in building relationships within the community.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the MSF team, and all of the healthcare workers and the volunteers who stepped up to help when it was needed most.

During our visit today, Dr Cloete indicated that Khayelitsha  currently has 16 active cases per 100 000 population- compared with 588 active cases per 100 000 on 15 June. We have also seen the number of deaths in Khayelitsha decline to 13 over the past 7 days, compared with 83 in a week in June.

Khayelitsha has really provided us with a real story of hope in this crisis. At one point, the area had the second highest number of infections in the province, and with a large population of people with comorbidities and risk factors, and high population density, this story could have had a very different ending. I thank the people of Khayelitsha, all of the healthcare workers, the volunteers, the businesses, the Khayelitsha Development Forum, the neighbourhood watches and the Chrysalis Graduates who have all partnered with us to slow the spread, and flatten the curve. Together, you have all helped to save lives.

We must however not stop now. We must continue to ensure that we protect ourselves and our loved ones so that we don’t see a second wave of infections and so we can dedicate ourselves now to the work of re-introducing healthcare services that have had to be put on hold, and fighting for our economy so that we can save jobs and create new ones.

Despite the closure of the hospital, the community of Khayelitsha will still have access to excellent care should it be required. We have capacity at the Khayelitsha hospital and at our other hospitals in the metro, and our temporary field hospitals at Brackengate and the CTICC remain operational.

Rural healthcare:

While we have overcome the peak of infections in our metro region, some of our rural areas have still require resources and space to manage infections.

Today, the Sonstraal Hospital in Paarl opened its first 63 bed COVID-19 ward to its first patient. These additional beds will help to bolster our response in areas outside of the metro, and provide a dedicated space for COVID-19 care in the Winelands region. These refurbished wards will also provide additional healthcare resources in the region, beyond COVID-19

11 August 2020

As of 1 pm on 11 August, the Western Cape has 7416 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 98 868 confirmed cases and 87 998 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 5110 (4811 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 30 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3454. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

Lockdown regulations:

We note that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize published the criteria that will guide the determination of alert levels in the Government Gazette on Friday 7 August. According to the gazetted criteria which came into effect upon publication, “the Ministerial Advisory Committee must advise the Minister of Health regarding which alert level should be declared nationally, provincially, in a metropolitan area or district.”

We welcome the confirmation that alert levels could be determined at a provincial, metro or district level. The Western Cape cabinet on Friday took the position that businesses which can open safely should be allowed to do so, and that the alcohol ban should be lifted, in conjunction with the implementation of smart measures aimed at reducing alcohol harms.

We have written to both Minister Mkhize and Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma to request a meeting where we will put forward these positions as it is imperative that we take decisive and immediate action to prevent an unemployment pandemic and further economic calamity. I will also be attending the President’s Coordinating Council meeting on Saturday where I hope to have the opportunity to raise these issues.

StatsSA has delayed the release of its Quarterly Labour Force Survey data which was due to be released today, but we believe that these figures will give us a picture of the economic hardship wrought by the lockdown between April and June.

Statistical indicators previously released by StatsSA have shown the drastic impact of the lockdown on the food and beverage industry. The closure of our borders and the initial ban on local travel has also had a significant impact on the tourism industry. Manufacturing data released today shows a 16.3% decline in manufacturing in June when compared to June 2019. This is in addition to the 49.3% decline recorded in April and the 32.4% decline in May.

According to Minister Mkhize’s gazetted criteria- alert level 3, which the Western Cape is currently classified as, indicates a moderate COVID-19 spread and a moderate health system readiness.

Alert level 2 indicates a moderate COVID-19 spread with a high health system readiness, while alert level 1 indicates low COVID-19 spread with a high health system readiness.

In the Western Cape, we have seen a steady and sustained decline in the number of hospitalisations, with current numbers sitting below 1200, the lowest we have seen since June. Coupled with this, we have seen a greater percentage of tests come back negative,  declining infections among healthcare workers and a decline in the number of daily deaths.

The Western Cape has passed its peak and currently has adequate platform capacity, to the extent that the MSF field hospital in Khayelitsha is in the process of closing and we will soon be considering whether all our field hospitals need to remain open.

We urge the Ministerial Advisory Committee to consider all of  this information when making their recommendations.

I also urge all of our residents to continue to take precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones to ensure that we are able to maintain the declines we have seen in infection numbers, deaths and hospitalisations. Working together we can ensure that we balance the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 with the need to safely open our economy and protect the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of Western Cape residents.

7 August 2020

As of 1pm on 7 August, the Western Cape has active 8631 cases of COVID-19, with a total of 97506 confirmed cases and  85528 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 5133 (4687 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 34 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3347. We send our condolences to the loved ones of all the deceased at this time.

Western Cape cabinet adopts position on business opening and alcohol sales:

The Western Cape cabinet has concluded its two day bosberaad where we have adopted the position that where business can open safely, they should be allowed to do so. Additionally, we have also adopted the position that domestic alcohol sales should be allowed, with smart recommendations in place. These positions have been taken with a view to reducing the impact of a second, equally dangerous pandemic- unemployment. We will now engage the national government on these positions. More detailed information is available here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/cabinet-adopts-positions-opening-business-and-sale-alcohol

Statement by Premier Alan Winde: Western Cape Government Cabinet adopts position on safe opening of all businesses and the domestic sale of alcohol together with smart interventions  

7 August 2020

Yesterday, the Cabinet of the Western Cape Government met during a Bosberaad to discuss the second, equally serious pandemic of unemployment spreading across our province.

During this special meeting of Ministers and Provincial Heads of Department, the cabinet made it clear that we need to fight this second pandemic with equal resolve if we are going to save lives and prevent a catastrophic humanitarian disaster.

The Western Cape’s health platform has capacity to respond to Covid-19 

The Western Cape Government didn’t waste a day of the Hard Lockdown to prepare its healthcare systems for the peak of infections. We have taken our response seriously, ensuring that we have additional field hospitals up-and-running in time for our peak, adequate stock of PPE and other medical supplies such as oxygen, and we have done this transparently, accounting for every cent spent.

As a Government, we have been following an evidence-based, data-led approach to our health response, and we have used worst-case scenario planning to ensure that we always have adequate provisions.

While our healthcare system has been under pressure throughout this time, we have always had capacity to provide healthcare to our residents.

Our latest data indicates that we have passed our ‘peak’ and that our metro hospitals are 69% full, down from 71% the week before (all patients). We can also reveal:

• The Hospital of Hope, which has a capacity of over 800 beds, has 91 patients admitted;
• The Brackengate Field Hospital which has a capacity of over 330 beds, has 47 patients admitted;
• The Thusong Centre, which has a capacity of 60 beds, has 20 patients admitted.

We manage a well-run, integrated health platform and have the ability to provide support to all regions across the province. We are also adding additional capacity in rural areas, with beds at Sonstraal Hospital and in municipalities such as George.

In fact, the Western Cape Government has now reached a point where we have to carefully consider whether all our field hospitals need to stay open, given these statistics and the scenario provisioning projections.

The economic disaster is gaining momentum, and thousands of jobs are being lost 

While we are seeing an easing on our health platform, the second unemployment pandemic is gaining momentum in our province.

Businesses, that employ tens of thousands of people, are buckling under continued restrictions on economic activity, low confidence, and reduced demand.

It is estimated that we will lose 10.2% in Gross Value Add, R720 million in revenue, and a staggering 167 000 jobs.

That is nearly two hundred thousand people – many in vulnerable communities – who will no longer have an income to put food on the table. And their dependents and children will suffer too.

This should give every decision maker in this country sleepless nights.

For many people in our province and country, a job is the difference between putting food on the table and starving. This is not an exaggeration, but a reality in our country.

International organisation Oxfam has identified South Africa as an emerging hunger hotspot, saying many of the country’s poor would be “tipped over the edge” by the inability to earn or job losses as a result of the pandemic.

This corroborated by what we are seeing in our communities in the Western Cape.

Higher levels of unemployment will impact food security, the nutrition of adults and children, violent crime, and will cost lives now and in the future too.

That is why we have maintained that we should not view our response to Covid-19 as a zero-sum game. We can ready our healthcare systems to respond and provide care, and we can open our economy safely at the same time.

The Western Cape Government Cabinet position on the safe opening of all businesses  

The Cabinet of the Western Cape considered these factors and agreed that we need to prevent as many job losses as possible. The only way to do this is to allow all business to open safely.

The Cabinet accordingly adopted the following position:

For as long as the Western Cape can assure access to health facilities for all Covid-19 patients, all businesses should be allowed to open safely, following clear health guidelines designed to slow the spread of Covid-19. 

Our Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) and Department of Health have worked on detailed health and safety guidelines for businesses so that there is clarity on what is expected of them in our fight against Covid-19.

We have responded to 3 972 direct inquiries for assistance from businesses in the Western Cape and have begun the process of rolling out 11 000 “Covid-19 Business Safety Kits” in the province to ensure that businesses are properly supported in this regard.

We have not stopped there. We have also created a platform where employees can report businesses where these health and safety guidelines are not being followed. To date we have resolved 1122 complaints relating to workplace safety.

Given our capacity to respond to Covid-19, the fact that we have passed our peak, and that we have put measures in place to support businesses so that they can re-open safely, there remains no rational reason to keep businesses closed.

If they can open safely, let them.

The Western Cape Government Cabinet position on the domestic sale of alcohol  

Our Cabinet and Provincial Heads of Department also considered the continued suspension of alcohol sales in South Africa.

We fully agree that alcohol related harms are a major problem in our province and country.

Our provincial data points to this. When the domestic sale of alcohol was suspended during the Lockdown, and then again recently, the number of trauma cases dropped immediately.

But we cannot view this in isolation of the other consequences of a continued ‘ban’ on the sale of alcohol is causing.

South Africa is one of the top wine producing countries of the world, and that sector is predominantly located in our province. We are the wine and agri-processing capital of South Africa, with the sector supporting thousands of livelihoods across a value chain.

Wine industry body Vinpro estimates that the initial nine-week ban on local sales, and five-week ban on exports will result in 18 000 jobs lost, and 80 wineries and 350 grape producers closing their businesses over the next year. Stats SA food and beverage data for April and May shows a decline in revenue for his sector of 94% and 87% respectively from 2019 revenues.

As our Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer expressed in a letter to Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza:

• Wine is the third biggest export product of the Western Cape economy and contributes 6.5% of the value of exports from the province. But only 51,0% (2018) of the crop was exported. The sector therefore relies heavily on the domestic market and cannot survive on exports alone.
• Of the 2873 producers of wine grapes in South Africa, 40% produce less than 100 tons, and further 36% less than 500 tons per annum. The wine industry is dominated by smaller businesses.

The impact on this temporary ban is not just felt in our agricultural and farming communities, but also in our tourism and hospitality sector. Indeed, we are also the tourism and hospitality capital of South Africa, with over 200 000 jobs supported by tourism in our province.

The reality of this sector is that restaurants rely on alcohol sales to remain profitable. If properly licensed establishments are not allowed to sell alcohol on site, they will not be able to remain financially viable.

We therefore have a complex situation to address in our province, where the continued suspension on the sale of alcohol will result in a jobs blood bath – mainly in our poorer, rural communities. We cannot ignore this.

We must also remember that the suspension of alcohol was not just because it provided harm in general. Rather, the stated reason is that alcohol related cases were undermining the ability of healthcare systems to provide care to Covid-19 patients. Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said as much recently in court papers.

This is not so in our province. The Western Cape has passed its peak and currently has adequate platform capacity, to the extent that we will soon be considering whether all our field hospitals need to remain open.

Given this fact, and the dire consequences of this ban on the livelihoods of our people, we can no longer support the continued suspension on the domestic sale of alcohol in the Western Cape.

Our Cabinet has therefore adopted the following position:

For as long as the Western Cape can assure access to health facilities for all Covid-19 patients, the temporary ban on the sale of alcohol should be lifted immediately, in conjunction with the implementation of smart interventions to curb the negative impacts of alcohol over the medium to long term. 

It is important to stress that the Western Cape Government will continue to tackle alcohol harms, through a number of smart interventions. That is why we have established an Alcohol Harms Task Team, which will drive initiatives aimed at reducing the harms of alcohol on our society. The Department of Community Safety in the province, and invitations to participate will be issued shortly.

A blunt, blanket ban is not viable, but intelligent plans that tackle the root cause of the problem can make a difference.

Adapting to the new normal             

On behalf of the Western Cape Government, I will now engage the Minister of Cooperative Governance, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, on this position – as the National Government is responsible for the National Disaster Management Act. I have already requested a meeting to do so.

Covid-19 is not going away in the next week or next month – it is likely to be with us for at least another 18 months. The sooner we all adapt to the new normal, the better.

In doing so, we must reject the false dichotomy that we have to pick between providing healthcare to those infected with Covid-19 and keeping the economy open. If we work together with the private sector, and we intervene smartly in addressing harms, we can do both. The Western Cape Government is committed to doing this.

We will not let our foot off the pedal in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. This remains our priority. But we will also fight against the second, unemployment pandemic with equal determination. If we do both, we will save lives now and, in the future, too.

6 August 2020

As of 1 pm on 6 August, the Western Cape has 9171 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 97013 confirmed cases and 84 529 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 5351 (4774 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 48 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3265.  We send our condolences to the loved ones of all the deceased at this time.

Mitchells Plain Hospital COVID-19 ward handover:

I would like to express my appreciation to the Gift of the Givers, who have donated R 10 million towards renovating and equipping an entire ward of the Mitchells Plain hospital which will be used to treat COVID-19 patients. The ward, now named the Freesia Ward, was handed over to the Department of Health today.

This donation will allow the hospital to open up additional bed capacity for non-COVID-19 services, and use the 60 bed Freesia ward for COVID-19 services. This generous donation will therefore allow us to provide appropriate care to the community of Mitchells Plain in line with our commitment to start re-opening more of our non-COVID related healthcare services over the next few months.

We thank the Gift of the Givers and the many organisations who have partnered with us throughout this pandemic. These relationships have helped to ensure that the Western Cape has been able to provide treatment and care for the sick, and will help to ensure that we are able to roll out the full basket of healthcare services in the coming weeks and months.

George healthcare workers:

I would also like to pay special tribute to the healthcare workers at George hospital. This team of dedicated healthcare workers were able to care for and discharge 12 patients from their COVID-19 ward in one week at the end of last month. This despite the hospital facing increased service pressure, especially in its critical care services. On behalf of all of these patients and their loved ones, I would like to thank all of the staff at the hospital.

The Garden Route has been seeing an increase in new infections and hospitalisations as the region continues to see an upward trajectory on its infection curve. I appeal to all residents of the Garden Route to take precautions to ensure that we are able to flatten the curve, ensure that our hospitals and healthcare workers are not overwhelmed, and ultimately save lives.

You can play your part by staying at home as much as possible, washing your hands frequently, wearing your mask when you go outside, avoiding gatherings and practicing social distancing. I also call on all businesses to ensure that they are operating safely, that their staff are wearing masks and social distancing, and to ensure regular cleaning of high traffic surfaces such as counters, credit card machines, lift buttons, door handles, telephones, computers and public restrooms.

Minister of Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madikizela will be in the Garden Route from tomorrow, where he will be assessing COVID-19 compliance on public transport and conducting roadblocks.

5 August 2020

It’s estimated that over the past 15 months, it cost the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements approximately R187 million to prevent illegal land grabs and site invasions.  In addition, this past month alone, the Department has spent R18 Million to prevent illegal occupation of our housing units and vacant land earmarked for human settlement development.

These amounts, which excludes legal costs, as it has not yet not been determined, translates into an estimated 1 168 housing opportunities missed.

Minister Simmers said: “Spending this exorbitant amount on securing our land and sites is unnecessary and quite frankly avoidable. In this day and age, we should not be coerced into utilising such expensive and extremes measures to protect state assets and resources, particularly since they’re earmarked to benefit the most vulnerable and deserving in our society.

It is despicable that we have so-called ‘community leaders’ engaging in such criminal activity by damaging and destroying property. They and all of their followers have taken a conscious decision to embark in this lawlessness and therefore I am appealing to all our Law Enforcement agencies that the full might of the law must take its course.

Our call is still for the South African Police Services (SAPS) to immediately and without fear or favour arrest those who are leading these illegal activities. We are all required to adhere to all the laws of the country and examples should especially be made of those are blatantly disregarding the laws of the country.

We cannot allow lawlessness to take hold in the Western Cape.  Instead, we encourage all those with a genuine housing need to immediately register on the housing demand database. If they’ve already done so, the onus is on them to ensure that their details are verified and up to date.

Furthermore, I wish to make a humble plea to our residents to utilise existing stakeholder platforms and community structures to constructively address their concerns and needs.

Tomorrow, the Provincial Cabinet will be discussing a proposal, which consists of various elements that will seek to address the current situation that we have in our province.

As the Western Cape Government, we remain committed to accelerating human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient, safe and sustainable human settlements in an open opportunity society.

 Media Enquiries:

Marcellino Martin

Spokesperson for Minister Tertuis Simmers

Marcellino.martin@westerncape.gov.za

021 483 3397 (o) / 082 721 3362 (m)

Or

Nathan Adriaanse

Director Communication & Stakeholder Relations

Tell: 021 483 2868 / Mobile: 083 2631720 / Email: Nathan.Adriaanse@westerncape.gov.za

5 August 2020

As of 1pm on 5 August, the Western Cape has 9652 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 96 446 confirmed cases and 83 529 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 5525 (4837 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 29 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3265.  We send our condolences to the loved ones of all the deceased at this time.

Stellenbosch testing and triage centre opens:

Today, Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo opened the new testing and triage centre in Stellenbosch. This is one of 26 of these facilities which have already been completed across the province, with others still under construction. These centres allow hospitals to separate testing and triage from their other healthcare activities. While the province has seen a decline in the number of new cases in certain areas, these centres will still be play an important role in testing in the coming months as we expect the virus to be around for many more months.

Minister Mbombo also visited Kayamandi for a community activation aimed at sharing information with community members to help slow the spread.

In addition to the testing centre, work on the first phase of of the Sonstraal hospital in Paarl is well under way, with the first 63 additional beds due to come online on 10 August

The Cape Winelands District Municipality has recorded a total of 10984 infections and 9526 recoveries-a recovery rate of over 85%.

I am also pleased to see the increased uptake in the use of quarantine and isolation facilities in the Cape Winelands district over the past few weeks-almost doubling from 29% to 57%. These facilities are an important tool in slowing the spread, creating a safe and comfortable space for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to isolate or for those who are direct contacts of a positive case, to quarantine. These facilities are especially important if you share your home with anyone who might be high risk- such as an elderly parent, or a loved one with an underlying illness.

I call on all residents in this region to work with us to ensure that we are able to slow the spread, save more lives and ensure that we do not have a second wave of infections.

The Cape Winelands is an important farming region in the Western Cape, contributing significantly to our economy, to job creation and to food security in the province. We therefore encourage all businesses to take the necessary precautions to ensure that their staff are kept safe. Slowing the spread of this virus will also allow for more areas of our economy to open up, so that we can avoid the second unemployment pandemic.

Further information on the historical deaths reported yesterday:

Yesterday, the Western Cape reported 93 additional deaths- with the majority of these being historical deaths which have now been correctly allocated as COVID-19 deaths. These deaths did not occur in hospitals, and as such, our Department of Health may not have picked up a COVID-19 positive result.

These deaths were recorded as follows:

4 deaths in May

33 deaths in June

16 deaths in July

and 8 deaths in August.

The Western Cape has been working closely with the NICD, using sophisticated, integrated systems to cross reference excess reported deaths to determine if they are COVID-19 related in order to ensure that our records are as accurate as possible. As we continue with these processes, we will continue to keep residents informed.

MEDIA RELEASE BY DAVID MAYNIER

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Date: 04 August 2020

Release: immediately

Improved operations at the Port of Cape Town welcomed

The efficient and effective performance of the Port of Cape Town is critical to economic recovery and growth for the Western Cape however, ongoing operational challenges have resulted in poor service levels that are impacting our economy in the Western Cape.

The Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated the situation to such a degree that three major shipping lines cancelled calls to Cape Town or implemented a Cape Town congestion surcharge.

This required urgent action and interventions, and I am pleased to confirm that through ongoing engagements between ourselves and the Transnet Port Terminals management, and considerable effort by all stakeholders in the port logistics chain, we have in recent weeks seen some welcome developments.

Mr. Velile Dube was appointed as the new CEO of Transnet Port Terminals, a crew of 20 staff members were brought in from the Port of Durban to temporarily assist and the Port of Cape Town received four new straddle cranes.

While the additional staff returned to the Port of Durban last week, there has been a consistent effort to contain Covid-19 infections and, with the assistance of the provincial Department of Health and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, this has enabled a number of key personnel to return to work maintaining the six-gang operation. And plans to introduce a seventh gang are underway.

The result is that:

• the average container moves per day has increased from 533 in the week of 25 May, to 1 179 last week; and
• the period for berthing of vessels at anchor has reduced from 20 days to 1 day.

On Friday (31 July 2020) a vessel docked after waiting only one day, and yesterday a vessel berthed on the day of arrival. This is a significant improvement, and if this performance is sustained during next week and beyond, would mean that the shipping lines could possibly re-install calls to the Port of Cape Town by the second week of August.

There is still much work to be done. And so, in addition to our existing efforts, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism have recently approved a project to integrate data from all fruit packhouses in the Western Cape into a decision-support tool that identifies the best days, times and routes for optimal delivery of containers for export in order to ease congestion in the container terminal.

And through the department’s Red Tape Reduction Unit, we will continue to investigate additional interventions to reduce the cost of doing business in the Port of Cape Town.

Furthermore, I look forward to engaging with the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, and the Transnet management team to implement the permanent structural changes needed to make the Port of Cape Town a globally competitive port.

Notes for media:
Please find soundbyte from Minister David Maynier attached

To read the statement online visit: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/improved-operations-port-cape-town-welcomed

Media Queries:

Francine Higham

Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities

(Responsible for the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism)

Tel: 021 483 4327 / Cell: 071 087 5150

Email: francine.higham@westerncape.gov.za

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