Page 44 - Logistics News - Issue 01 - 2024.indd

NA T I O NA L L O GI S T I CS

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National logistics – a sector of transcendental importance to the national economy – has experienced

watershed moments this year.
he situation intensified in the third and “Over the past two weeks, leaders from

fourth quarters, when capacity issues at across the logistics, supply chain and transport
T all key ports reached crisis point, resulting sectors have supplied exhaustive detail of the
in severe backlogs of freight and costly delays, situation to business and the nation, generating
impacting the complete supply chain – to name wide media coverage. The message from
just two of many other severe consequences. industry highlighted the issues, while at the same
In the main, the impacts are due to high time underscoring solutions that are, by and
inefficiencies and infrastructural collapse. large, matters covered in the logistics roadmap to

recovery and the work of the National Logistics
“The national logistics crisis is our own Crisis Committee (NLCC),” maintains Dr Maree.
‘inconvenient truth’,” says Dr Juanita Maree, Chief “This is all work in progress, thanks to the

Executive Officer of the South African Association collective focus. But it is no secret that fixing the

of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF). “The full extent of Dr Juanita Maree, CEO of fundamental issues requires time and significant
the position must be fully understood and, at the SAAFF. resources. To be sustainable, the approach
same time, it is equally important to know that requires a complete overhaul of the strategy
the issues are being addressed by government and the private and operational approach to the management of port and rail
sector as a matter of national importance of the highest priority infrastructure – these are matters at the top of the agenda at
from a platform of shared responsibility. Without a functioning parliamentary, institutional, national and regional levels.”
logistics network, 60 percent of our economy is at risk since
trade in goods represents the major portion of our national Dr Maree continues: “The reality is that the issues are
economy and demands the uninterrupted movement of goods.” now with us and impact indiscriminately all sectors of the

42 I S S UE 01 – 2024 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a