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Concerns raised after China offers to fast-track SA fishing harbour plans

Concerns raised after China offers to fast-track SA fishing harbour plans
Fishing vessels lined up at the Shawo Island fishing base in northern China. (Photo: Jinghai Group website)
Tony Carnie
By Tony Carnie
23 Jul 2024
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Department of Public Works and Infrastructure spokesperson Thami Mchunu confirmed that the department was aware that three KZN candidate sites were in the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site.

Plans to build new fishing harbours and ports off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape have raised concern about the motives and implications of recent offers by the Chinese government to provide “technical assistance” to fast-track South Africa’s Blue Economy expansion visions.

The concerns have been heightened after it emerged that some of the more than 20 “small harbour” candidate sites being investigated are either inside or adjacent to South Africa’s first World Heritage Site and two of the largest Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where fishing has been banned or restricted in an effort to replenish the country’s threatened marine resources.

Luo Zhaohui, the chairman of the China Investment Development Cooperation Agency, has also been pushing the new Chinese ambassador to “work closely with the South African side to accelerate the progress of such projects as technical assistance for the feasibility research of small ports”.

china sa fishing harbours Former public works minister Sihle Zikalala meets Luo Zhaohui, the chairperson of the China Investment Development Cooperation Agency (Cidca) during a visit to Beijing in December 2023, where he was scheduled to ‘sign an exchange of letters with Cidca sanctioning a cooperation on the Small Harbours development in South Africa’. (Photo: CIDCA)



Daily Maverick has established that two “government stakeholder engagement meetings” were held in Durban and East London earlier this month (1 July and 5 July) under the auspices of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), a recently established state entity with a focus on promoting major investments generally exceeding R1-billion.

At these meetings, the Zutari engineering consultancy group outlined plans to investigate three Tier 1 harbour candidate sites and 22 Tier 2 harbour candidate sites in three coastal provinces — excluding the Western Cape, which already has about 12 designated fishing harbours.

While the focus of the recent engagement meetings was on Tier 2 “small harbour” projects, it is understood that Port Shepstone (KZN), Port St Johns (E Cape) and Port Nolloth (N Cape) are being investigated as sites for larger Tier 1 harbours.

The 10 Tier 2 candidate sites in KZN are Port Edward, Hibberdene, Scottburgh, Tinley Manor, Sodwana Bay, St Lucia Bay, Kosi Bay, Uvongo, Shelley Beach and Margate.

Three sites (Sodwana Bay, St Lucia Bay and Kosi Bay) are all within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999 along with a Marine Protected Area in 2019.

The iSimangaliso MPA is part of a network of 42 MPAs designated for the protection of offshore ecosystems. Collectively, they make up just 5% of South Africa’s ocean territory and are regarded as crucial conservation areas to protect or rebuild depleted marine life and fish populations.

Further south, Zutari is also looking at 10 harbour candidate sites in the Eastern Cape — Gonubie, Hamburg, Kowie River Mouth, Port Alfred,  Coffee Bay, Port Grosvenor, Mthatha River Mouth, Mbizana Small Craft Harbour, Amadiba Mtentu/Mzamba Tourism Development and Latimer’s Landing. Some of these sites are also inside or adjacent to the Pondoland MPA.

In response to queries, DPWI spokesperson Thami Mchunu confirmed that the department was aware that three KZN candidate sites were in the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site, but stated that: “These sites would be graded accordingly and in light of location would receive a low rating due to the environmental constraints.”

On whether the proposed developments would be subject to Environmental Impact Assessments, Mchunu said: “Unquestionably. The DPWI remains committed to all environmental regulations and legislation and is committed to sustainable developments whilst growing the ocean economy across the South African coastline.

“The top five sites will progress to the next phase of developing site-specific precinct plans ie, spatial and economic development frameworks (SEDFs). Non-state groups and all interested and affected parties will be invited to public meetings at the five identified sites that progress to the next phase.

“As this is merely the preliminary phase of the project, there is no identified and specific economic activity for the proposed sites. The specific rationale and nature of each site will be covered under the SEDFs that progress to Phase 2 of the project.” 

Some sites would not be developed into fully fledged small harbours but could be recipients of basic marine infrastructure to assist local communities. 

‘No involvement’


Significantly, Mchunu stated that there was “no involvement” of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (Cidca) in the funding, selection and investigation of the proposed small harbour sites.

However, this appears to contradict government announcements already in the public domain.

The original proposals to build or expand local harbours date back to the 2014 launch of the Operation Phakisa (“Hurry up”) Oceans Economy plan, but China has expressed a strong interest in “assisting” with the harbour development plans over the past year.

In April 2023, (former) Minister of Public Enterprises and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala announced that: “In the quest for the development of new harbours, the department is in the process of finalising the in-kind grant from the Chinese government to conduct feasibility studies along the coastlines of the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal,”  

In August 2023, following a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tshwane, the two governments announced a number of investment cooperation deals that included “support on infrastructure development projects including the Small Harbour Development Project”.

china sa fishing xi ramaphosa Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa (back centre and right) observe an investment cooperation signing ceremony in Tshwane in August 2023. Former international relations minister Naledi Pandor is seated front right. (Photo: Fikile Marakalla / GCIS)



In December, Zikalala flew to Beijing and Shanghai with a senior delegation of officials that included Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) acting head Mameetse Masemola, at the invitation of Cidca.

In a media release at the time, Zikalala’s department said he would give a keynote address and also “sign an exchange of letters with Cidca sanctioning a cooperation on the Small Harbours development in South Africa. 

“The minister’s visit aims to leverage the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative to pivot the country’s infrastructure investment plan and fast-track the delivery of infrastructure in the country.”

china sa fishing harbours zikalala Former public works minister Sihle Zikalala (front row centre) and his entourage are welcomed by a Chinese delegation during his December 2023 trip to Beijing. (Photo: ISA Facebook page)



After a visit to the Zhuhai Hongwan Bay Fishing Port on 6 December, Zikalala posted images on his Facebook page, declaring: “This visit is critical as we seek insights to best optimise the development of small fishing harbours in South Africa, particularly in Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal, and Northern Cape under Operation Phakisa.”

china sa fishing harbours zikalala Former public works minister Sihle Zikalala (front row centre) and his entourage are welcomed by a Chinese delegation during his December 2023 trip to Beijing. (Photo: ISA Facebook page)



More recently, in May 2024, Cidca chairperson Luo Zhaohui met the Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Wu Peng.

It was at this meeting that Luo reiterated the importance of development assistance in China-South Africa relations and “raised his hope that the Chinese embassy in South Africa will continue to work closely with the South African side to accelerate the progress of such projects as technical assistance for the feasibility research of small ports”.

Assertion challenged


When we challenged the DPWI assertion that China was not involved in the recent port and harbours plan, Mchunu said: “We would like to reiterate our response to you that there is no involvement of Cidca as the project is being funded through Infrastructure South Africa under the Project Preparation Budget allocation.

“The response that we have provided is from the DPWI’s Small Harbours Development Unit. We are unable to answer on behalf of any other entity.”

Following this, Daily Maverick sent further queries to ISA and the Chinese embassy in Pretoria seeking clarity.

ISA communication director Nombulelo Nyathela, who accompanied Zikalala to China in December, stated that “the letters of exchange between DPWI and CIDCA were never signed”.

“The project sponsor on small harbours (DPWI) can perhaps give further information on these engagements if they are still in pursuance,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said: “The letters have not been signed yet, because the South African side is still going through some approval process. All is going well though.”

However, the embassy did not respond to questions requesting clarity on the nature and financial value of the “in-kind grant” assistance being offered; the terms of the letters of exchange between the two countries or the social and economic benefits foreseen by Cidca’s development aid offer.

Amid this confusion about the exact nature and current status of Chinese involvement, civil society stakeholders are nevertheless raising questions about the implications of the new harbour expansion plans.

china sa fishing harbours zikalala Zikalala also met New Development Bank chief operating officer Vladimir Kazbekov at the bank’s headquarters in Shanghai in December. (Photo: ISA-linked post)



Dr Bruce Mann, a senior marine scientist at the Oceanographic Research Institute, said he was surprised by the proposals, considering that there were so few sites on the KZN coast suitable for small harbour development.

“Quite frankly, the government has more than enough work to do sorting out the problems in our existing harbours and rail network rather than wasting more money on new ones.”

Mann said that, unlike the Western Cape, which has a wide continental shelf and several rocky bays to shelter boats, the KZN shelf was much narrower and the coastline more open, with very few sheltered areas. It was also subject to the powerful Agulhas Current.

This was one of the main reasons local fishermen had developed South Africa’s first ski boats, capable of being launched on a high-energy coastline with few sheltered bays.

china sa fishing harbours A ski boat launches into the surf at the mouth of Lake St Lucia. (Photo: Tony Carnie)



“This is a crazy idea from a financial, environmental and safety perspective. Building any new structures on this high-energy coastline is almost doomed to failure in the absence of enormous engineering fortifications such as dolosse.”

Mann also believes that current fishing stocks in KZN are already “maximally exploited”, with almost 50,000 boating launches recorded annually and widespread, illegal sales of fish via charter boats and recreational anglers.

“Any further fishing effort will damage sustainability,” he said, noting that stocks of slinger and soldier fish were recovering slowly following restrictions that came into effect almost two decades ago.

Incompatible land use


Bheki Manzini, the spokesperson for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, confirmed that an objection had been sent to the DPWI about the inclusion of St Lucia Bay, Sodwana and Kosi Bay as harbour candidate sites.

“iSimangalios’s view is that the nature of the project cannot be supported at this stage as it is an incompatible land use in relation to protected areas, World Heritage Sites and iSimangaliso’s Integrated Management Plan.”

china sa fishing harbours lake st lucia A young hippo bull bares its teeth at Lake St Lucia, part of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site. (Photo: Tony Carnie)



A government source with knowledge of the Zutari engagement meetings earlier this month gained the impression that “some politicians have looked at a map and queried why there are so few harbours outside the Western Cape” without knowledge about the state of fishing resources or marine dynamics of other coastal provinces.

The source said there also seemed to be a push from the national government to develop new coastal “smart cities or new Club Meds and Monte Carlos of Africa.

“Local boat users are already getting a raw deal because of the neglect of existing harbour and launch sites — but now we are hearing about glossy dreams to create some sort of French or Italian Riviera resort harbours, complete with Russian oligarchs suntanning on their yachts.”

Oceans and coasts activist Sinegugu Zukulu, winner of the 2024 Goldman Environment Prize,  questioned why affected communities were not consulted at the outset.

“There are many coastal communities who have been pleading for better access to offshore fishing opportunities and I very much doubt that they will be happy about giving the Chinese an interest in harvesting our fish. Why are we not being consulted?”

Zukulu said residents along the Eastern Cape Wild Coast continued to report cases of fishing trawlers entering local waters at night with their AIS satellite tracking devices switched off.

“I don’t know if these are Chinese trawlers or not, because we have no proof. But we do know that these trawlers are coming close inshore illegally at night and if more fishing harbours are built it raises concerns around who exactly will benefit. And we may not just be talking about fish — it could expand to minerals and other resources as well.”

With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, China is reported to account for more than a third of all fish consumption worldwide and its deep-water fishing fleet has been increasingly implicated in the global depletion of seafood stocks in several parts of the world.

china sa fishing harbours Fishing vessels lined up at the Shawo Island fishing base in northern China. (Photo: Jinghai Group website)



According to marine researchers, roughly 57% of China’s marine fish stock is overexploited or collapsed, and the rapid development of coastal cities has placed tremendous pressure on China’s marine ecosystems, resulting in the loss of 80% of coral reefs, 57% of mangroves and more than 50% of coastal wetlands, most of which are crucial spawning, nursing or feeding grounds for fish.

China’s increasing role in the development of ports, roads, airports and rail networks in Africa has also drawn criticism, although other scholars have challenged the narrative of Chinese “debt-trap diplomacy”, the claim that China deliberately seeks to entrap countries in a web of debt to secure a strategic advantage or an asset. DM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk

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