Pulp And Paper Company Sappi Ceases Operations In KZN Due To Deadly Floods
Pulp And Paper Company Sappi Ceases Operations In KZN Due To Deadly Floods. Pulp and Paper Company Sappi has announced that it is stopping its operations in its KZN facilities due to the deadly Floods that have caused a lot of damage over the past few days.
In the past few days most parts of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa have experienced extreme storms and heavy rainfall which has led to widespread flooding making many areas inaccessible and damaging roads, railway lines, infrastructure, warehousing and private residences. Some Sappi staff are unable to travel to and/or from work and the transport of goods and services has been severely disrupted.
“Sappi is deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastating impact of these floods on the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Our condolences go out to the families of those in various communities who have lost loved ones. Over and above support we will be providing in Sappi communities, we will join organised business to provide the necessary support. Although the disruption to production and customer deliveries were outside our control, we will make every effort to minimise the negative impact on our customers.” Steve Binnie Chief Executive Officer of Sappi Limited said in a statement.
The company’s Saiccor, Tugela and Stanger Mills along with its export facilities at the Durban Port have been impacted. Production has been stopped, some inventory is damaged, and deliveries to domestic customers have been affected. In addition, shipping lines have confirmed that export shipments will also be negatively impacted. The company’s primary concern is for the safety of its staff and contractors.
Therefore, as a precautionary measure due to the continued inclement weather, the company also said that its mills will operate with skeleton crews until it is safe for all Sappi staff to return. To date there has been no material damage to any of the plants and production will be impacted until the situation normalises.
