The legal tussle to operate a terminal at South Africa’s top boxport will stretch into the new year with International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) losing an appeal at the Durban High Court to dismiss a case brought by rival APM Terminals. Another court hearing is now scheduled for March next year.
Lawyers working for APM Terminals managed to put rival ICTSI’s entry into South Africa’s largest container port on hold in October.
A South African court decided to temporarily block ICTSI’s 25-year deal with state-run Transnet to take over the running of a container terminal in Durban.
APM Terminals took the matter to court when it lost the bid, arguing that ICTSI did not meet a stipulated solvency measure.
The main case will now be heard next year.