Today's
visit by the Executive Mayor Cllr Athol Trollip, MMC for EDTA Andrew Whitfield,
MMC for Public Health Lance Grootboom and MMC for SRAC Siyasanga Sijadu to the
Transnet manganese ore export site was precipitated by the reported civic
outrage at the contamination of air, private property and facilities of
neighbouring communities and businesses.
Whilst
the City recognises the economic importance of both these bulk storage
facilities especially the exportation of manganese ore, we believe that the
lifespan of the current facilities has expired.
We will
be calling for a full public health and environmental compliance assessment of
these facilities in order to protect the interests of the citizens of the city
as well as our critical economic growth sectors such as tourism and sports
tourism, which are directly linked to a healthy environment and a growing
economy.
The City
is committed to working with Transnet to accelerate the relocation of these
facilities to the specially and specifically designed Port of Ngqura as soon as
possible.
Other
important advantages of an accelerated relocation are the reduction of heavy
ore carrying vehicles congesting the inner City and placing unnecessary strain
on our internal arterial roads. The relocation will also drastically enhance
the aesthetic value of this prime beach and habour front land which has for too
long been neglected.
The City
has held a number of high level meetings with the Group Chief Executive
Siyabonga Gama and other senior Transnet officials to discuss the urgency of
this relocation and we have informed them that we cannot wait until 2023 for
this to happen.
Our visit
did expose the fact that the handling of such high volumes of ore in a suburban
environment cannot be done without creating harmful dust discharges.
We will
hold Transnet to their undertakings to ensure that all possible dust mitigation
practices are being implemented at this site as long as they are exporting ore
from this port.
We will
continue to oversight the operations at this port and the relocation process
from the PE Habour to Port of Ngqura.
For
queries:
Sibongile
Dimbaza
Mayoral
Spokesperson
0823793404