SOUTH African coal exports had been disrupted by violent protests in the country’s KwaZulu-Natal province which had led to the suspension of services, said Transnet, a state-owned freight and logistics company.
Transnet appealed to communities in certain regions of the province, who were demanding jobs and business opportunities, to desist from destroying infrastructure which it said posed a risk to lives owing to potential derailments.
“The disruption has resulted in the suspension of coal line operations, service to customers and potential losses to the South African economy,” said Transnet in a statement.
The rail line runs a distance of about 580km from Mpumalanga to Richards Bay where coal is loaded at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). It also moves domestic commodities such as chrome, coke, chemicals and timber.
Transnet said earlier this week that coal volumes on the Richards Bay line would be about 74 million tonnes (Mt) in its 2017/18 financial year, an increase from the 73Mt (2015/16: 72.1Mt) registered in the previous financial year.
“Transnet is working closely with customers to ensure minimal disruption. We have deployed security in the affected areas and are working with relevant authorities to safeguard our employees, infrastructure and the assets of our customers.”
It added that it was working with communities to find a “common solution” to the problems.
