South African terminal operator Transnet is undertaking a clean-up operation following the devastating floods that damaged the port of Durban. Operations were gradually resuming, with risk assessments being undertaken to ensure the safety of employees and infrastructure, Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan said in a statement. Priority was being given to repairing the main access road to the port’s container terminals.

“Cargo that will be prioritized for evacuation from the port today includes food, medical supplies and petroleum products,” Mr Gordhan said. “Shipping which was suspended as a result of extensive debris caused by the adverse weather is expected to resume once safety has been established for marine craft and vessel navigation.”

In a customer advisory, Maersk said waterside terminal operations had recommenced. There was no reported damage, and gantry and shoreside equipment remained fully functional. Labour availability was limited, however, due to access restrictions, and it expected lower productivity levels. “Currently, the biggest constraint is access to the terminal,” it said. “The damage to Bay Head Road is severe and this has effectively cut off all road access into and out of the terminals. No trucks can enter or exit. We do not yet have a confirmed date of when Bay Head will re-open.” Rail services into and out of the terminal also remain suspended.

“Given the access restrictions into the terminal at Durban we are reviewing possible feeder solutions and mainline deviations to land cargo and load exports,” said Maersk. “Given the already existing and longstanding delays at Cape Town, our solutions are centered on Port Elizabeth. This may involve both accepting Durban load cargo and discharging Durban port of discharge imports at Port Elizabeth as well as using feeders to link both ports.” It said several dry and reefer equipment units had been “compromised” because of flooding, reducing availability.

Hapag-Lloyd said its Durban operations had been affected by heavy rainfall leading to severe flooding and widespread damage. Waterside operations had resumed but were expected to progress slowly due to the landside disruptions, it said. Hapag-Lloyd said it would suspend detention and demurrage fees for the period between April 12-18 due to the difficulties in moving containers to and from the port.