BUSY SALDANHA BAY WITH POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER GROWTH

PRESIDENT Ramaphosa emerged from the G20 with much credibility.

- BRIAN INGPEN

THE Capesize ore carrier Ubuntu Empathy, currently en route from Brazil to China with iron ore, is a sistership to Ubuntu Humanity that loaded in Saldanha Bay last week and that also is en route to China. These 300m vessels are part of the fleet of 11 ships owned or chartered by Anglo American to support the company's global mining activities.

(SHANGHAI WAIGAOQIAO SHIPBUILDING)

By sticking to important protocol matters including refusing to hand the G20 gavel to a low-ranked US official rather than the US president as would have been the custom had that man been present, by using the US's absence to his advantage, and by having the G20 agreement passed without objection, Ramaphosa showed remarkable resilience and courage.

Many now hope that his newfound strength will translate into his duties here. A major cabinet reshuffle - including appointing a new Deputy President and a visionary minerals minister will help to stabilise the listing ship of state.

Regarding the latter minister, two recent west coast sorties underlined again the stagnancy of the country's mineral beneficiation programme that could provide jobs, promote foreign revenue earnings, and save foreign expenditure.

At the end of a dedicated railway line from one of the richest iron ore mines (in terms of the iron content) and with an adjacent deepwater port, Saldanha steel mill lamentably remains silent, its furnaces are cold, and its 900-strong workforce (plus other indirect employees) are idle.

Saldanha's port is thriving. While enjoying a tasty toastie at Saldanha Bay, I watched a fully laden Capesize ore carrier leave for China, and in came a similarly-sized British-flagged ore carrier with the distinctly South African-flavoured name Ubuntu Humanity, also to load for Qingdao in China.