SAMSA and IPM hold hands over human skills development and effective management

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21 December 2016

Mutual and reciprocal interests in human resources development and its ongoing effective workplace management is the glue that holds warming relations between the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and the Institute of People Management (IPM), it transpired at the latter organization’s annual conference and awards function in Johannesburg recently.

SAMSA’s special guest status at the function was in remembrance and honour of the maritime authority’s Centre for Maritime Excellence former executive head, the late Ms Sindiswa Carol Nhlumayo, who passed away earlier this year.

At the time, Ms Nhlumayo, had been four months into her term as the IPM’s ‘ambassador’ in lieu of her top national achievement as the people management organization’s “Business Leader of the Year 2015 Award’ winner – this in recognition of her sterling efforts to advance human resources development in the country, but particularly in the maritime and tourism sectors over a number of years.

The late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo
The late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo

Ms Nhlumayo died of cancer in February 2016. She was 44 years old.

In Johannesburg recently the theme of the IPM 60th 2016 conference was ‘Gearing up for the fourth Industrial Revolution’, with SAMSA allotted a slot to share its viewpoint on “Leadership in New Economies” from its vantage point with respect to the country’s maritime economic sector development, championed nationally under the theme of Operation Phakisa (Ocean Economy).

Ms Itumeleng Pooe, a senior manager for Marine Tourism and Leisure, and a former close colleague of Ms Nhlumayo, represented SAMSA. She expressed appreciation of the developing relationship between SAMSA and the IPM.

“The presentation was partly to pay respect to Sindiswa posthumously and share with the audience the work she has done in traversing our people especially young ones through the world of maritime, precisely through skills development, transformation, training etc and the synergies she has created between maritime and other fields, said Ms Pooe.

Mr Elijah Litheko, chief executive officer of IPM later described the presentation as a “moving tribute and befitting for a caliber of person Sindiswa was.”

Ms Itumelng Pooe
Ms Itumelng Pooe

The two organizations are working on bedding down the relationship struck due to Ms Nhlumayo’s work, with the IPM having now allocated SAMSA, at its discretion, a ceremonial ‘ambassadorial’ position for the next year allowing for sustained linkages between the organizations.

Said Ms Pooe: “This is a welcomed opportunity which will see SAMSA continuing to fly the maritime flag and deepening the understanding of maritime amongst peers while doing work to promote people development, awareness and empowerment.

“It is these very spaces that ensure that SAMSA remains current and relevant more so that people development is becoming an economy on its own as we gear for the fourth industrial revolution,” she said.

Her sentiment reflected on that by SAMSA acting CEO, Mr Sobantu Tilayi who described the development as inspiring to both organization.’

According to Mr Sobantu, Ms Nhlumayo played a crucial and pioneering role in positioning SAMSA a critical role player and partner in the development and expansion of maritime education and skills development in the country, from foundational to tertiary and vocational levels.

PICKING THE CUDGEL: Ms Lesego Mashishi (Right) SAMSA senior manager, Human Resources; with the late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo (Left) in October 2015, shortly before the passed on.
PICKING THE CUDGEL: Ms Lesego Mashishi (Right) SAMSA’s Chief Human Capital Officer, with the late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo (Left) in October 2015, shortly before she passed on.

Conversely, he said: “The IPM is the country’s lead people focused organization engaged in shaping the proper and effective management of people in the workplace and therefore its work is very complimentary to ours in terms of our contribution to human resources skills development and effective management.”

Mr Sobantu said SAMSA’s Chief Human Capital Officer, Ms Lesego Mashishi would assume the role of a point person between the two organizations.

Ms Mashishi said she was honored to be afforded the opportunity to work with the IPM on mutually beneficial issues between the two organizations.

 

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What being an IPM ‘ambassador’ means.

According to IPM CEO, Rre Elijah Litheko, the role involves participants assisting the organization “to fulfil its strategic mission of becoming the portal to thought leadership in people management, helping to address current challenges facing business and society through supporting relationships which focus on the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience, as well as mobilizing critical resources.  It is through these relationships that IPM will be able to increase its impact and make a significant contribution to HR in South Africa.”

Support could involve any of a number of activities among which are the sharing of knowledge, skills and experience according to participant’s respective industry sectors or jobs role for the benefit of the HR community and IPM members and mobilizing resources or networks to support and enhance the activities of the Institute. Reciprocity derives in the opportunity for participants being able to regularly profile their own organizations in their engagements.

Seafarers certificates verification goes electronic in South Africa: SAMSA

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Pretoria: 09 December 2016

The verification of seafarers’ certificates has swiftly moved into the digital era in South Africa  after the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed the introduction of electronic verification of the documents with effect from Thursday (08 December 2016).

According to SAMSA’s Centre for Seafarers, the shift towards electronic verification of seafarers’ certificates is in compliance with Regulation I/2 of The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

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Chief Examiner, Mr Azwimmbavhi Mulaudzi

Chief Examiner, Captain Azwimmbavhi Mulaudzi said: “SAMSA has just introduced electronic verification of seafarers certificates with effect from noon, Thursday; 08 December 2016. This is in line with Regulation I/2 of the STCW Convention.

Quoting from the Regulation, he said it required that ‘each Party undertakes to make available information on the status of such certificates of competency, endorsements and dispensations to other Parties and companies which request verification of the authenticity and validity of certificates produced to them by seafarers seeking recognition of their certificates under regulation I/10 or employment on board ship.’

“As of 1 January 2017, the information on the status of information required to be available in accordance with paragraph 15 of this regulation shall be made available, in the English language, through electronic means.”

Captain Mulaudzi said from Thursday onwards, verification of seafarers’ certificates could now be done by accessing the forms found available on the SAMSA’s website.

He said: “Initially, the electronic verification will only be available for ‘new format’ certificates. SAMSA will announce to the industry as and when more certificates are ported to the new platform.”

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SAMSA moves to ensure maritime environmental safety around stricken Greek vessel headed for Cape Town

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Greek owned bulk carrier, the Antaois, currently on tow off the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Town after suffering fire and water damage in its engine, leading to its crew having to be rescued earlier this week. Once near Cape Town, its bunker oil will transferred offshore to ensure ocean environmental safety and integrity, according to SAMSA

Pretoria: 08 December 2016

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has begun fully mobilizing appropriate and relevant safety measures to secure maritime environmental safety in the wake of a salvage operation this week involving a stricken Greek bulk carrier on the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Town.

The disabled vessel, a Greece registered bulk carrier known as the Antaios, came to SAMSA’s attention after it reportedly suffered fire and water damage in its engine room while located some 870 nautical miles west of Cape Town late last week, en route from Argentina to the Middle East.

According to SAMSA, the vessels’ crew abandoned ship on Sunday and were rescued to safety by a passing Japanese ore carrier, the ‘NSU Fortune’; that dropped them off in Cape Town on Monday.

On Wednesday, SAMSA reported the Antaois – a 19 years old 27 776 DWT bulk carrier owned by Amalthia Marine Incorporated of Greece, and laden with a cargo of soya flour and corn being shipped from San Lorenzo, Argentina to Yemen – as currently under tow by the salvage tug ‘Smit Amandla’.

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SAMSA said the safety measures being rolled out involved retrieving safely and transferring offshore the estimated 170 metric tonnes of bunker fuel in the vessels’ belly. Among other issues, this would entail ensuring the vessel remained at no less than 30 miles off the coast of Cape Town.

SAMSA Executive Head for Centre for Shipping, Captain Nigel Campbell
SAMSA Executive Head of Centre for Shipping, Captain Nigel Campbell

SAMSA Executive Head for the Centre for Shipping, Captain Nigel Campbell said: “The South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) requires the owner to prioritise the removal of the casualty’s bunkers to neutralise any environmental threat before giving permission for the vessel to proceed closer to the South African coast.

“Until such time as the fuel transfer operation has been completed, vessel surveys undertaken and a comprehensive salvage plan approved, SAMSA has ordered that casualty remain at least 30 miles off.

“The multi‐purpose tug ‘Peridot’ is currently being mobilised from Cape Town, together with specialist personnel and equipment and will rendezvous with the convoy of tug and tow and commence preparations for the transfer of bunker fuel and water, which includes the pumping of the flooded engine room and repair of damage sustained,” said Captain Campbell.

He said SAMSA was working closely with all interested parties including owners and their underwriters to “ensure that safety of life and environmental protection remain the key priorities of this operation.”

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Relief for seafarers and administrators after IMO extends new certification deadline by six months to July 2017

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Pretoria: 07 December 2016

Seafarers across the world, including South Africa, are breathing a great sigh of relief after the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee announced an extension of six months for the issuance of new certificates compliant with the Manila Convention 2010 and which every seafarer needed to have by January 2017.

The IMO’s safety committee has now extended the deadline to July 2017, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confir20151207_151556 (2)med in Pretoria on Wednesday.

SAMSA, the country’s seafarer certificates issuing authority said the reprieve was agreed to with administrators that are party to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers STCW Convention at a five day meeting held with the IMO in London, United Kingdom, a couple of weeks ago.

According to SAMSA, the reprieve came in the wake of growing pressures experienced by seafarers’ certificates issuing administrations worldwide, and against which some appeared unlikely to meet the January 2017 deadline, thereby putting at risk thousands of seafarers’ jobs, with severe consequential disruptions to shipping liners’ operations globally.

SAMSA has since published the Marine Notice 38 of 2016 – Extension of Validity of STCW Certificates, which details the conditions under which the extension applies to seafarers holding South African certificates, as well as South African ships.

SAMSA said according to a previous arrangement announced in May this year, revised certificates covering a whole range of seafarer skills levels were being issued in terms of the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention (Manila Amendments) effective from May 2016.

IMG_1270Administrators worldwide would have until January 2017 to achieve this as all certificates issued prior to the Manila Amendments, in terms of The Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations (1999 as amended) would expire at the end of 2016.

A Marine Notice (No.24 of 2016) to the effect was published by SAMSA on 24 May 2016, advising all affected parties of the need for affected band of seafarers to renew or revalidate their certificates prior to their expiry date on 31 December 2016.

According to the May 2016 notice (published on SAMSA’s website: http://www.samsa.org.za) applicants could use any number of ways to lodge their applications including delivering them in person or via a proxy to any of SAMSA’s offices countrywide, or filing their application online especially if they are out at sea or abroad.

At the time of the issue of the May 2016 Marine Notice, SAMSA anticipated issuing out as a matter of top priority, as many as 2300 Certificates of Competency and about 4000 Certificates of Proficiency compliant with the new Manila Amendments by December 2016.

This would be followed in sequence by as many as 5000 local certificates for fishing and port operations.

However SAMSA, as with several others administrators worldwide; experienced disruptive challenges related specifically to IT systems, and the situation simply piled on pressure.

IMG_4707 (2)IMG_4705 (2)Two weeks ago in London and following to appeals made by seafarers’ certificates issuing administrations worldwide, the IMO’s safety committee agreed to extend the deadline to July 2017.

In a statement the IMO safety committee said: “The Maritime Safety Committee, at its 97th session (21 to 25 November 2016), expressed concern with the implementation of the 2010 Manila Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers {STCW), 1978, as amended, in light of the imminent end, on 1 January 2017, of the transitional provisions laid down in STCW Convention, regulation 1/15.

“The Committee noted that a large number of certificates needed to be issued by certificate issuing Parties confirming that their seafarers complied with the provisions of the 2010 Manila

“The Committee was particularly concerned about, and regretted the fact that, so close to the end of the transitional period, seafarers were reportedly unable to obtain certificates and/or the necessary endorsements required by regulation 1/10 meeting the requirements of the 2010 Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention.

“The Committee, therefore, urged all concerned, including certificate-issuing Parties and Administrations, to do their utmost to ensure that seafarers are issued with the appropriate certificates and necessary endorsements.

IMG_6394“The Committee agreed that, in cases where a seafarer’s documentation complies with the requirements in force immediately before 1 January 2017, but is not in accordance with the requirements of the 2010 Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention, port State control authorities, until1 July 2017, are recommended to take a pragmatic and practical approach during inspections and to notify the ships, seafarers and Administrations concerned accordingly,” the IMO Maritime Safety Committee said

In Pretoria on Wednesday, SAMSA said due to the postponement, certificates previously issued by SAMSA before it commenced issuing the ‘Manila’ compliance certificates would remain acceptable for service for seafarers until 01 July 2017.

“We are fortunate that this pressure on administrations has been recognised by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the IMO during their 97th Session  and extended the deadline for the transitional provisions from 01 January 2017 to 01 July 2017. This gives us an additional six (6) months in which to issue all outstanding certificates,” said SAMSA.

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Stricken Greek vessel crew safe in Cape Town, bulk carrier salvage underway

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Pretoria: 06 December 2016

All 19 crew members of a Greek bulk carrier, the ANTAIOS, that suffered grief on the Atlantic Ocean at the weekend have been safely evacuated and are currently in Cape Town, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA confirmed on Tuesday.

The crew was plucked to safety from the vessel after it had sent out a ‘May Day’ call while in international waters on Sunday following to its bulk carrier, loaded with maize reportedly from Argentina to Saudi Arabia, suffered both fire and water flooding damage in its engine room.

According to SAMSA, the incident occurred while the ANTAIOS was cruising on the Atlantic Ocean, some 860 nautical miles west of Cape Town. A distress call for assistance was picked by a Japanese ore carrier, the NSU INSPIRE, which relayed the call to SAMSA’s Cape Town based Centre for Sea Watch and  Response.

“The 170 meter ANTAIOS had reportedly experienced a fire in the engine room while sailing from Argentina en route to Saudi Arabia loaded with grain. The fire caused some damage which led to flooding in the engine room. When the flooding became uncontrollable, the captain decided to make a distress call and order the crew to abandon ship.

“The mayday call was picked by the NSU INSPIRE which was sailing from Brazil to Singapore and China. The captain of the NSU INSPIRE immediately informed the SAMSA CSWR and proceeded to the rescue,” SAMSA said.

“Happily, by 20h39 MRCC was informed by the captain of the NSU INSPIRE that his ship had arrived on-scene and had commenced recovering the ANTAIOS crew from the two lifeboats they had escaped to. All 19 crew members were plucked to safety on board the giant 330 meter ore carrier and are currently on the way to be dropped off in Cape Town from where they will be repatriated,” SAMSA said.

nsu-inspire-2On Tuesday afternoon SAMSA confirmed that the crew had safely arrived in Cape Town and that a salvage operation was already underway to retrieve the stricken vessel.

“As at 12pm today, the (Antaios) crew are safe at a hotel waiting on the arranged flights to be finalized and all should have departed by Sunday. (Their stricken) vessel is currently under tow by the salvage tug Smit Amandla, and at the time of the last position update, it was approximately 780 nautical miles from Cape Town.”

SAMSA further indicated that with the crew safe and a salvage operation underway, the national maritime authority  would only monitor the towing operations.

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Rescued crew of stricken Greek ship in the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Cape Town

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Stricken Greek bulk carrier, the Antaios. It’s rescued crew currently on their way to Cape Town..

Pretoria: 05 December 2016

The entire crew of a bulk carrier that sent a distress call after reportedly suffering engine fire damage off the Atlantic Ocean has been rescued and is currently on its way to Cape Town, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported in Pretoria on Monday.

The 19 crew were plucked off the stricken Greek bulk carrier ANTAIOS by an ore carrier, the NSU INSPIRE – and now currently on their way to Cape Town Harbour – after their vessel reportedly experienced a fire and flooding in the engine room while sailing from Argentina to Saudi Arabia.

In a statement on Monday, SAMSA said its Centre for Sea Watch and  Response based in Cape Town had received a satellite phone call from the NSU INSPIRE – a 330 meter Japanese ore carrier – reporting  a distress call from the ANTAIOS.

nsu-inspire-2“The 170 meter ANTAIOS had reportedly experienced a fire in the engine room while sailing from Argentina en route to Saudi Arabia loaded with grain. The fire caused some damage which led to flooding in the engine room. When the flooding became uncontrollable, the captain decided to make a distress call and order the crew to abandon ship,” said SAMSA.

SAMSA reports that the dramatic incident apparently occurred in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, in an area some 860 nautical miles west of Cape Town and an area the maritime authority said was  well outside of the striking distance of shore-based rescue facilities.

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Circled in red on the left end of the map is the area on the Atlantic Ocean at which crew of a stricken Greek vessel, the ANTAIOS were rescued on Sunday, according to the South Africa Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Monday

“The mayday call was picked by the NSU INSPIRE which was sailing from Brazil to Singapore and China. The captain of the NSU INSPIRE immediately informed the SAMSA CSWR and proceeded to the rescue. In the meantime, CSWR immediately initiated a mayday relay broadcast requesting vessels in the vicinity to proceed to the stricken vessel and render assistance.

“The response to the broadcast was immediate and a total of 24 merchant ships called SAMSA’s CSWR offering their assistance, some were as close as 80 miles from the scene and others as far off as 600 miles.

“Six ships closest to the stricken ANTAIOS were diverted by the MRCC to the position in case the NSU INSPIRE needed help in rescuing the crew.

“Happily, by 20h39 MRCC was informed by the captain of the NSU INSPIRE that his ship had arrived on-scene and had commenced recovering the ANTAIOS crew from the two lifeboats they had escaped to. All 19 crew members were plucked to safety on board the giant 330 meter ore carrier and are currently on the way to be dropped off in Cape Town from where they will be repatriated,” SAMSA said.

SAMSA also confirmed that a local shipping agency had since been appointed by the stricken vessel owners to take care of the crew once they arrive in Cape Town. The crew is expected in Cape Town and about midnight on Monday.

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KZN Enkovukeni Community upliftment programme moves a step further after 8 boat skippers complete their training

ASPIRANT BOAT PILOTS: Eight youths (Standing) from the Enkovukeni village of Mhlabauyalingana in northern KwaZulu-Natal with their supervisors during their week long training as boat skippers at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence are (From Left), Ms Vyuswa Mthembu, Mr Khulani Ngubane, Ms Zanele Mgobosi, Ms Ntombikayise Mlambo, Mr Philani Ngubane, Ms Nokuthula Ngubane, Mr Khulani Mike Mthembu and Mr Robert Ngubane. At the front are (From Left) Mr Vincent Zulu (KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board) and Mr Mzwamandla Sosibo (SAMSA)
ASPIRANT BOAT PILOTS: Eight youths (standing) from the Enkovukeni village of Mhlabauyalingana in northern KwaZulu-Natal with their supervisors during their week long training as boat skippers at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence are (From Left), Ms Vuyiswa Mthembu, Mr Khulani Ngubane, Ms Zanele Mgobosi, Ms Ntombikayise Mlambo, Mr Philani Ngubane, Ms Nokuthula Ngubane, Mr Khulani Mike Mthembu and Mr Robert Ngubane. At the front are (From Left) KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Education Projects Specialist, Mr Vincent Zulu  and SAMSA Curriculum Development Specialist, Mr Mzwamandla Sosibo.

Durban: 02 December 2016

A South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) initiative, supported and driven by the Department of Transport, to alleviate the plight of a northern KwaZulu-Natal community forever swamped in water, has moved yet another significant step forward after eight (8) new boat skipper trainees completed their training in Durban recently.

All eight skipper trainees – four males and four females – are from the community of Enkovukeni, at Umhlab’uyalingana and all successfully went through a rigorous training programme at the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence in Durban a week ago.

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Rural northern KwaZulu-Natal’s Enkovukeni village’s first ever boat pilot trainees that are part of a SAMSA initiated and Department of Transport driven upliftment initiative are (from Left) Vuyiswa Mthembu, Zanele Mgobosi, Ntombikayise Mlambo and Nokuthula Ngubane. The four who are part of a total eight (8) trainees involved in the programme are due to receive their skipper’s licenses soon.
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If all goes well, these boat skipper trainees from Enkovukeni village at Mhlabauyanlingana in northern KwaZulu Natal, should receive their skippers’ licenses soon. They are (From Left), Khulani Mike Mthembu, Khulani Ngubane, Philani Ngubane and Robert Ngubane

The training, conducted by the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board along with SAMSA, is part of a now much broader community initiative launched about three months ago to initially provide water based transport to the Enkovukeni community, a village situated on a thin 5km waterlogged stretch piece of land forming part of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park – South Africa’s first world heritage – in the north of KwaZulu-Natal.

Enkovukeni, at Mhlabauyalingana, is practically an island, stretching from Bhanga Neck to Kosi Bay Mouth with the Indian Ocean on one side and the Kosi Bay lake system on the other. The area is virtually only accessible by foot or make shift canoes which residents currently use.

Transport Department Deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga (in black outfit) and some senior government officials at provincial and local government level in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as SAMSA acting CEO, Mr Sobantu Tilayi on board a boat donated by private sector companies to the water-locked community of Enkovukeni at Umhlabuyalingana on the north coast of KwaZulu Natal on Friday
Transport Department Deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga (in black outfit) and some senior government officials at provincial and local government level in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as SAMSA acting CEO, Mr Sobantu Tilayi on board a boat donated by private sector companies to the water-locked community of Enkovukeni at Umhlabuyalingana on the north coast of KwaZulu Natal on September 09, 2016

The initiative is part of the Umhlabuyalingana Outreach Project which was initially proposed as a Nelson Mandela International Day project by SAMSA, the latter which drew a partnership with other stakeholders to accelerate delivery of services and bring immediate and long term relief to the community.

Private sector partners now supporting SAMSA and the Department of Transport include Dormac, Subtech, Smith Amandla Marine, Unicorn, SA Shipyards, MIASA, KZN Sharks board, FBI Communications, Viking Lifesaving and Surfing Equipment.

In September 2016 Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiswe Chikunga led the formal launch of the initiative at the village and at which event she handed over the first of four boats earmarked for donation to the community.

img_3960The newly trained boat skippers, all previously unemployed youths from the community will once formally licensed, be charged with responsibility for manning and managing the boats to be deployed with the community, said SAMSA Curriculum Development Specialist, Mr Mzwamandla Sosibo.

Mr Sosibo and KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Education Project Specialist, Mr Vincent Zulu who oversaw the training, were on hand in Durban last Friday to see the group return home after its training.

Mr Sosibo said SAMSA was pleased that significant progress was being achieved with the initiative, but precisely with regards water based transport for the community as this remained the main challenge to address all other problems. For his full remarks Click Here:

img_3959Meanwhile, Mr Zulu said the Enkovukeni initiative constituted an example of the nature of beneficiation communities across the country could elicit from the national Operation Phakisa (Ocean Economy) initiative launched in 2014.

Of the eight skipper trainees, he said they had an equal obligation to ensure that contribution made to their Enkovukeni community fully benefitted everyone and that projects initiated were jealously guarded and fully supported by the community for long term sustainability. For Mr Zulu’s full remarks, Click Here

Meanwhile, the eight boat skipper trainees said they were “absolutely elated” to have been included in the programme and vowed to give it their all to ensure the programme is sustainable.

For their remarks (averaging one minute each), please Click the pictures below

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