(This is the $200 million loan in which last May the BRICS Bank financed 40% of yet another wicked Transnet deal – with no community consultation. Hence no one told the Sandton branch banksters who they were dealing with, until late last year a whistleblower went to an Irish private investigator with great media cred.
Failing to acknowledge its own extreme levels of corruption, not to mention the dangers of the expansion for socio-ecological justice and economic rationality, “Transnet is currently reassessing a way forward on the main marine contract scope of works in order to minimize any further delays in realizing the benefits of the project.“)
21.5.2019 06:54 pm
Transnet, CMI Emtateni terminate controversial R4.2bn Durban port expansion contract
ANA
Allegations in O’Sullivan and Sarah-Jane Trent’s report centred around issues of fraud, BEE fronting and collusion between the Transnet employees and suppliers.
State-owned freight and rail company, Transnet said on Tuesday that its contractor, CMI Emtateni Joint Venture, has terminated its R4.2 billion contract for a megaproject to create deeper berths at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT).
This comes after Transnet in November last year stopped all the works in the project and launched a probe into the contract after receiving an unsolicited report from private investigator Paul O’Sullivan’s Forensics for Justice, with allegations of procurement irregularities on the project.
Allegations in O’Sullivan and Sarah-Jane Trent’s report centred around issues of fraud, BEE fronting and collusion between the Transnet employees and suppliers.
In September last year, Transnet awarded the main marine package of the R7 billion DCT Berth Deepening project to CMI Emtateni Joint Venture to create deeper berths at the DCT’s North Quay.
CMI Emtateni Joint Venture comprises of an Italian construction company, CMC di Ravenna and CMI Infrastructures, with former Greytown mayor Philani Mavundla’s CMI Infrastructures as a BEE partner.
The upgrade and expansion of the berth will enable the port to accommodate newer generation container vessels by 2023.
Transnet said the “stop all the works” instruction was to afford it time and space to conduct its own internal forensic investigation into the allegations.
But on February 20 this year, Transnet said the contractor issued a “notice of termination” as they may choose to do in accordance with the contract.
“In the best interest of both parties, Transnet accepted the contractor’s notice of termination and issued CMI Emtateni JV a termination certificate on the 16 April 2019,” it said.
“Transnet’s internal forensic investigations are still ongoing and have not been concluded. Transnet is currently reassessing a way forward on the main marine contract scope of works in order to minimize any further delays in realizing the benefits of the project.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
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Transnet, CMI Emtateni terminate controversial R4.2bn port expansion contract
Companies / 21 May 2019, 7:19pm / ANA Reporter
JOHANNESBURG – State-owned freight and rail company, Transnet said on Tuesday that its contractor, CMI Emtateni Joint Venture, had terminated its R4.2 billion contract for a megaproject to create deeper berths at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT).
This comes after Transnet in November last year stopped all the works in the project and launched a probe into the contract after receiving an unsolicited report from private investigator Paul O’Sullivan’s Forensics for Justice, with allegations of procurement irregularities on the project.
Allegations in O’Sullivan and Sarah-Jane Trent’s report centred around issues of fraud, BEE fronting and collusion between the Transnet employees and suppliers.
In September last year, Transnet awarded the main marine package of the R7 billion DCT Berth Deepening project to CMI Emtateni Joint Venture to create deeper berths at the DCT’s North Quay.
CMI Emtateni Joint Venture comprises of an Italian construction company, CMC di Ravenna and CMI Infrastructures, with former Greytown mayor Philani Mavundla’s CMI Infrastructures as a BEE partner.
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The upgrade and expansion of the berth will enable the port to accommodate newer generation container vessels by 2023.
Transnet said the “stop all the works” instruction was to afford it time and space to conduct its own internal forensic investigation into the allegations.
But on February 20 this year, Transnet said the contractor issued a “notice of termination” as they may choose to do in accordance with the contract.
“In the best interest of both parties, Transnet accepted the contractor’s notice of termination and issued CMI Emtateni JV a termination certificate on the 16 April 2019,” it said.
“Transnet’s internal forensic investigations are still ongoing and have not been concluded. Transnet is currently reassessing a way forward on the main marine contract scope of works in order to minimize any further delays in realizing the benefits of the project.”
African News Agency (ANA)
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Port of Durban developments hit by delays
Network / 14 March 2019, 09:30am / Terry Hutson
DURBAN – The Port of Durban is one of the areas affected by the unfolding intrigue of state capture and corruption that has the attention of the country.
Among the latest developments are suspensions, announced on Friday, of four of the topmost executives within the Transnet structure.
These included the chief executive of Transnet National Ports Authority, Shulami Qalinge, who had been in the job for less than two years.
Another top executive on immediate suspension was Ravi Nair, the chief executive at Transnet Freight Rail, Transnet’s largest division. Also suspended were group HR officer Nonkululeko Sishi and group chief operating officer Mlamuli Buthelezi.
Transnet said the suspensions were a step towards ensuring improved corporate governance, and restoring public and investor confidence in the state-owned company. It said the suspensions were necessary to aid in investigations into their alleged misconduct, without interference.
The Port of Durban hasn’t remained untouched through all the revelations and there are issues that affect the efficient running of the port.
One that affects Durban in particular is the stalled contract to widen and deepen the Durban Container Terminal North Quay. This was supposed to have commenced during the 2016/17 financial year, when Transnet said the North Quay contract would provide three deep water berths to provide DCT Pier 2 with a capacity of 2.9 million TEUs (20 foot container equivalents) on completion in 2022/23. Remember that number.
In December 2016, the then chief executive, Richard Vallihu, announced that the R7 billion tender for the deepening project had been issued.
“The continued investment in infrastructure and modernisation is pivotal in meeting the ever-increasing demands of the maritime industry, in particular the ever-increasing size of container vessels pulling into our ports,” he said.
Fast forward to September 11 last year and a joint statement from TNPA and TPT announcing that work on the North Quay widening and deepening was about to begin (some two years beyond schedule).
It had been awarded to CMI Emtateni Joint Venture, an Italian construction company made up of CMC Di Ravenna and a 51% black-owned South African company known as CMI Infrastructure, which is a joint-venture with PG Mavundla Engineering. Others involved included a collective of black-owned women’s companies and a consortium Masinya Emtateni Empowerment Group involving five black-owned companies.
Construction was to commence with berth 205 and would be followed by berths 204 and 203.
Advance to November last year when Transnet issued a “stop work” instruction with regard to the contract, within months of it starting. It came not long after the dismissal of Transnet former chief executive Siyabonga Gama amid other questions being asked of Transnet. The company was also provided with unsolicited information from a forensic investigator.
The effect of this is that Durban is again left to make do with berths unable to take ships that are fully laden, which adds up to lost business for the maritime sector. Last year, DCT handled more than 2.9 million TEU.
Another area of the port where there doesn’t appear to be any progress is the cruise terminal at the Point. Cape Town’s cruise terminal is up and running – here Durban’s is caught up once again in delays and frustration.
The first time tenders were called for, Transnet inexplicably stopped everything and all bidding had to be done all over again. When the current contract was awarded, with much fanfare, the indications were that by now we would see contractors on site. If they are, they are keeping it low profile.
THE MERCURY
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Transnet announces company names for DCT project
Sep 12, 2018: Transnet has declared the companies name who are appointed to undertake the construction work to deepen the berths at Durban Container Terminal (DCT): Pier 2’s North Quay. By 2023, the port will be able to accommodate newer generation container vessels.
The contract for the multi-billion-rand main marine construction works package has been awarded to CMI Emtateni joint venture (JV). The Level 2 BEE company comprises four entities – Italian construction company CMC Di Ravenna and its 51 percent owned by South African company CMI Infrastructure, which is a 10-year-old unincorporated JV with PG Mavundla Engineering. Also included in the partnership are Omame Emtateni Empowerment Group Consortium and Masinya Emtateni Empowerment Group Consortium.
An independent Environmental Compliance Officer (ECO) package was awarded to GIBB to audit environmental compliance on the project.
Transnet chief capital officer Krishna Reddy said the R7-billion mega project would help to sustain the existing container operations at the Port of Durban, specifically DCT Berths 203 to 205.
CMI will be responsible for the reconstruction, deepening and lengthening of berths 203 to 205 to provide safe docking capacity. Currently, Super Post Panamax vessels of 9,200 TEUs and larger take up two berths on the North Quay, shrinking port capacity, while larger vessels can only enter the channel at high tide. This results in delays and vessel queues at outer anchorage.
The marine infrastructure work will be executed in three successive phases – commencing with work on berth 205, followed by berth 204 and ending with berth 203. A new quay wall will be constructed 50 metre seawards of the existing quay wall, along Berths 203 to 205, and will provide sufficient water depth to safely accommodate larger post Panamax vessels. The existing quay wall will be deepened and lengthened which will allow for the simultaneous berthing of three 350m-long Post Panamax Vessels.
Seven existing 80 tonne ship-to-shore cranes at DCT: Pier 2 will be modified to suit the profile of the new quay wall structure and to serve berths 205 to 203.
An independent environmental monitoring committee (EMC) chair package has been awarded to Smith Ndlovu Summers Attorneys to oversee environmental compliance on the main marine construction works.
