TRANSNET National Ports Authority (TNPA) on Friday announced that it welcomed the appointment of Bridgette Gasa, who would join the operating division as the new Portfolio Director for Mega Projects.
The appointment comes as South Africa celebrates Women’s Month. It also comes as the state logistics firm recovers in the wake of a cyberattack last week. Transnet said all its operations would be up and running by today.
Gasa will have to provide leadership on Transnet’s flagship infrastructure projects, which include the finalisation of the KwaZulu-Natal port master plans and the development of the Durban Hub Port Development Programme.
Transnet said she would also ensure the successful delivery of the integrated Durban Logistics Hub strategy. Her appointment is aligned to Transnet’s goal of delivering all key infrastructure projects on time and on budget.
Even though it remains one of the largest ports in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of cargo value and vessel calls a year, Durban lost its lucrative status in recent years to Morocco, followed by Egypt.
In an exclusive interview with The Mercury in March, the port’s general manager, Moshe Motlohi, unveiled a multifaceted, draft “master plan” that promises to restore the port to its glory days when it was the number one marine facility in Africa.
He said Transnet was in a wide-ranging consultation process towards approval and implementation of the plan, which aimed to fast-track the port’s growth from the current 2.9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers to 11.3 million TEUs annual container handling capacity.
Gasa is a qualified built environment practitioner with more than 27 years of industry experience in economic valuation of mega projects, construction project management, infrastructure development, and small-medium enterprise development. Gasa has also worked in various sectors including agri-processing, eco-tourism, logistics and light manufacturing, road infrastructure projects, among others.
She has led economic development initiatives and formulated sector-enabling policies, and also has experience in the execution of master plans. Gasa has held various leadership roles and currently serves as the board chairperson of the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone.
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