On the 15 March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa now has 61 cases of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases comprised of both imported and locally transmitted infections. Consequently, cabinet took a decision to declare a national state of Disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. The President also announced a wide range of measures to curb the spread of the infection in the country. One of the measures announced is the closure of two sea-ports in South Africa.
This communication serves to expand on the president’s announcement and to clarify that this closure refers ONLY to passenger vessels and crew changes. There will be no crew changes at any South African ports.
The commercial vessel operations will continue to function across all sea-ports. TPT has put in place extensive interventions that address infection prevention and control (IPC). We will continue to utilise these measures and enhance them as new techniques become available. We will also continue the joint response in collaboration with Port Health, local communicable disease management, NICD, customers, contractors and other divisions in Transnet, to ensure that our employees, customers and other stakeholders are safe as they interface with the TPT worksites. TPT will only work a vessel once it has been screened by Port Health and health clearance granted by Port Health and TNPA. Under no circumstances will TPT work a vessel without clearance.
Your continued support in terms of the applicable Infection measures as per our communique dated 09 March 2020 is appreciated.
A further communique regarding business continuity measures (BCM) will follow in due course.
