SWAKOPMUND, Namibia, July 21 — Chinese collaboration in Namibia‘s maritime sector has positively impacted the Namibian economy and the livelihoods of its people, said Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) Andrew Kanime.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Thursday, Kanime emphasized the pivotal role of the Walvis Bay container terminal, constructed by China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) and commissioned in 2019, which has revolutionized Namport’s cargo handling capabilities.
“It has been a very impactful project, not only on Namport, but also for Namibia and the region at large, because that particular terminal has enabled us to double our cargo handling capacity,” he said.
Kanime told Xinhua that before the commissioning of the new terminal, Namport’s annual capacity was 350,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), but it has now more than doubled to 750,000 TEUs. Beyond the construction of the container terminal, Kanime underlined the dredging of the entrance channel as another milestone.
“That was just recently deepened to minus 17 meters, enabling us to attract and handle the largest container vessels in the world,” he said, adding that this combined effort has significantly bolstered Namport’s standing.
The ports of Walvis Bay and Luderitz are Namibia‘s two primary seaports. Managed by the Namport, they act as vital gateways for landlocked southern African countries, especially Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia.
Kanime said that the project will continue to positively impact the Namibian economy and the livelihoods of many people, including not only port workers but also those who will benefit from the industries created by the significantly increased cargo volumes now handled through the Port of Walvis Bay.
Kanime highlighted that Namibia is on a growth trajectory, with the need for Namport to continue expanding its port capacity.
“China Harbor Engineering Company, as in the case of other competent contractors, is obviously welcome to partner not only with us but with other businesses in a tender that will soon be launched to the market for new structures for the oil and gas,” he said.
Looking at bridging the skill gap in the labor market, Kanime said a crucial aspect of international collaborations is skills transfer.
“Skills transfer is a critical component of any project and, more specifically, any organization,” he said. “With the construction of this new terminal, we also deployed new STS (ship-to-shore) cranes, which we procured from ZPMC (Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited), also a Chinese manufacturer,” he said.
Kanime lauded the success of the skills transfer process. “Those ZPMC engineers have gone back, but they have transferred skills to our local team.
Those machines are now being fully repaired and maintained by our own team.” Concluding the interview, Kanime underscored Namibia and China’s good relations that span years, highlighting the great scope for the two countries to continue collaborating.
“Those sisterly collaborations have been carried through to post-independent Namibia. And therefore, the sky is actually the limit,” he said. (Xinhua)
