The purpose of the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) Stakeholder Forums, the first of which was held in Nelspruit in July, is to capture relevant stakeholder ideas and put them into processes for the MCLI to report, implement and deliver upon.

But primarily, the alternate-monthly forums are designed to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness on the Maputo Development Corridor. “Times are very tough,” concedes Barbara Mommen, CEO of the MCLI. Speaking at the inaugural forum, Mommen said that it was difficult to do business the way that it had always been done. “I think that we’re never going to get back to that [way of doing things]. We’re going to have to shift ourselves into a whole new paradigm of doing things.”

Mommen added that the collective voice of the stakeholders was “absolutely crucial” to the forum and the MCLI. “Often, when we speak of stakeholders on the Maputo Corridor and with MCLI, one thinks of the private sector. But, in fact, our stakeholders include public sector and parastatals. So we are encapsulating a holistic view; not just a group of angry private sector users saying this is what we want, this is what should be done. We’ve got to move out of that paradigm, to a place where we all work in a win-win process.”

She added that stakeholders were at the forum to strengthen the mandate of MCLI and help it deal with difficult issues. “Let’s not beat about the bush, let’s not have any elephants in the room. There are difficult things and I don’t know of another platform like this that includes public and private sector partners working together to improve the economic environment in which we operate,” she said.

Mommen explained that an enormous amount of the organisation’s credibility lies in the relationships it has with the public sector, parastatals and the private sector. “We value that because that’s our competitive edge over many other corridor institutions on the continent.”

She said that this relationship put the MCLI on a bit of a “tightrope” because it had to remain impartial, yet critical. “We’ve got to bring together opposing views and find common ground. We’re doing this on a regional scale, which makes it more complicated. We have three governments, three countries, three different cultures, and three different approaches. But we have one goal and all of us are in it to see the region succeed.”

Mommen said the majority of MCLI’s operations relied on the port of Maputo, Kudumba Investments, the Department of Transport and Grindrod terminals which, she said, were organisations critical to the role of MCLI and the work it does.

Turning her attention back to the forum, Mommen said that the intention was to tackle a whole range of issues. “Once we understand the priorities and what is top of mind, we will, as the MCLI, institute facilitation meetings with relevant authorities to see how we can progress and resolve them,” she declared.

Mommen indicated that the MCLI would, on a continuous basis, integrate discussions while taking a whole corridor view. “We will follow up and monitor and will collate information and report on it. This would set the agenda for the next stakeholder forum (in Nelspruit on 9 September 2015).

Overarching principals within the MCLI were improved efficiencies, cost reduction and competitiveness. “We’ll be looking at improvements, implementation, greater transparency and communication.”

Mommen indicated that glaring communication gaps exist. “The MCLI has been on this corridor for going on 12 years and we were not told about the future movements of the Frigo (Matola Cargo Terminal). These are things that we really battle with. We assume that we have a connection into our relationships, but it just shows how valid this kind of forum is. Without these discussions, we wouldn’t have been able to send an email and say: could you please update us and advise us as to how this will work. We see a whole range of challenges in terms of the new facility and how it is going to operate,” she said with mild trepidation.

Mommen stated that the MCLI had always adopted a co-operative approach. “We don’t see the point in coming here and pulling people to shreds and creating tension. We want to partner with our members and with our public and state-owned company representatives in a relationship built on respect, which is constructive and based upon discussion and open debate. This first forum is the start of something we see becoming quite significant. We want stakeholders to come with a positive contribution. But that does not mean to say that you may not say what is wrong or be critical. In fact, if you don’t this forum simply won’t work.”

She concluded by saying: “Accountability lies within the processes that we commit to.”