Saldanha Bay – Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean McPherson and Mayor Andretorter of Saldanha Bay Local Government have pledged to work together to revitalize the port for the benefit of the local economy.
The Minister and mayor made their commitment after monitoring the small ports in St. Helena Bay and Sardanha Bay on Tuesday morning (25th March 2025).
Two small ports owned and managed by the Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure have been devastated for years, often attracting criminal activity and thwarting investment in surrounding communities.
In line with the commitments made during the state speech in Parliament a month ago, Minister Macpherson said he would direct department officials to develop a master plan for small ports to contribute to the Sardanha Bay economy through fishing and tourism development.
“We believe that V&A Waterfront should redevelop small ports such as St. Helena Bay and Saldana Bay to become the economic engine for communities in a similar way as a prime example of how ports can be used to attract investment and create thousands of jobs,” Minister MacPherson said.
“V&A Waterfront helped create over 60,000 jobs, and we believe this level of success can be replicated nationwide.
Mayor Truter welcomed the Minister's commitment and said that his involvement today was very positive and showed a clear focus on his actions and timeline.
“It's refreshing to work with a minister who knows what it needs to be done and how to get it done,” Mayor Truter said.
“Minister Macpherson draws boundaries in the sand regarding the timeline of implementation, and as a municipality in Sardanha Bay, we look forward to embarking on this journey with the Minister and the Bureau of Public Works and Infrastructure.”
