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- The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has announced a refurbishment programme for 13 Western Cape harbours.
- Minister Sihle Zikalala wants to see SMMEs benefiting from the oceans' economy.
- But locals are worried about the harbours' current condition and want more to be done.
- For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has announced a R500-million refurbishment programme at 13 harbours in the Western Cape.
The Small Harbour Repairs and Maintenance Programme aims to bring greater efficiency and revitalise and reignite local ocean-based industries by attracting investment and creating jobs.
The programme will also aim to promote the sustainability of harbours for long-term use and contribute towards social responsibility and opportunities for small-scale fishers.
Zikalala announced the programme on Thursday following a visit to the Saldanha and Hout Bay harbours.
The visit aimed to monitor the work done at harbours and engage with stakeholders such as councillors, tenants, local fishers, and civic organisations to understand local concerns surrounding the development of harbours.
"We want to see an economic boom and the SMMEs (small, micro, and medium enterprises) benefiting from the oceans' economy in these harbours," said Zikalala.
"We want to attend speedily to the remaining bottlenecks such as long-term leases, security of harbours, land for human settlement purposes, localisation and empowerment of previously disadvantaged communities in the economic value chain of the harbours," he said.
The department is responsible for the maintenance and infrastructure of South African harbours and the letting or renting of land and structures at harbours.
According to the department, the repair programme will contribute to removing sunken vessels, degrading of harbour basins, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements, security and civil and electrical infrastructure.
The announcement by the department was made amid ongoing concerns about the state of South African harbours.
A representative from the department told News24 that harbours have been left to decay and are in "dire conditions," while some have not been maintained.
Other concerns include security issues and vandalism, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when harbours were vacated. There were also reports of criminal activities such as human trafficking and poaching activity.
Significant funds have been invested into developing, repairing and maintaining small harbours, including Saldanha and Hout Bay.
In 2018, R402 million was allocated for the Small Harbour Development to 12 harbours, including removing sunken vessels, dredging, repair and upgrades, security installation, and infrastructure repairs.
In 2020, the department launched a R96-million project at the Saldanha and Pepper Bay to work on slipway infrastructure at the harbour as part of the Small Harbour Programme. Work had also been completed to remove sunken vessels at the Hout Bay harbour.
Ramp up efforts
However, local fishermen and harbour users at Hout Bay and Saldanha Bay expressed concern about the current conditions of the harbour. They said efforts should be ramped up to improve infrastructure and development.
Chair of the Hout Bay Harbour Tenant Association and shareholder in 'Snoekies', Justin Long, said tenants are worried about the lack of maintenance and repairs at the harbour, including slipways and the dredging of sand in the harbours.
He also said that companies such as Oceana and Lucky Star, which had previously vacated land at the harbour, had left more than 20 000 square metres of vacant and derelict land, providing many business opportunities for potential harbour users.
Other Hout Bay harbour users said there were safety concerns, as boats were often broken into, leaving many fishermen feeling unsafe. They said that break-ins and theft create difficulty in sustaining businesses because repairs are costly.
Carmelita Mostert, a small-scale fisher at Saldanha Bay, said minimal upgrades had been done at the harbour, and more work needs to be done to clean and maintain the harbour.
"The kites are not cleaned, and it is dangerous and slippery for small boats to leave the harbour. The green grass is also growing at the harbour. It needs to be cleaned at least three times a month," said Mostert.
Fishermen do not have ablution facilities and must use the local bus stop for toilets, she said.
Transformation is also needed to include small-scale fishermen and local communities in developing small harbours and increase their participation in the ocean economy.
Mostert said that small-scale fishermen face significant problems, including adequate space to clean and process fish. She said:
Meanwhile, in Hout Bay, business and fishing forums said that more needs to be done to provide opportunities for local businesses and people from neighbouring Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu.
Vice-chair of the Hangberg Peace and Mediation Forum and chair of the Hout Bay Aquafarmers Cooperative, Gregg Louw, said that more opportunities and fishing rights are needed to be given to local, disadvantaged communities such as Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu to participate in the ocean economy.
