Delays have set in before the first sod has even been turned, giving hope to civic groups that have vehemently opposed the new facility Reports out of South Africa indicate that state-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has yet to give a start date for the first phase of Durban’s new dig-out port, the work on which should begin by next year if it is to receive its first ship in 2020.
TNPA officials say that so far, they have only begun working on preliminary plans and it is unlikely that the original timeline will be met.
The ZAR 100bn ($9.4bn) project will see a large area of land, which was previously the site of Durban’s old airport, excavated to create a new port with 16 container berths, five ro-ro berths and four liquid-bulk berths.
