Mpumalanga Province all out to mark World Maritime Day 2018.

Celebrating World Maritime Day 2018 on Day 1 of the two day event being held at Baadplaas in Mpumalanga Province on Thursday and Friday this week is one of several pupils from local schools who brought their self-built replicas of vessels to the show.

Baadplaas: 27 September 2018

Maritime economies around the world turn their focus momentarily onto the sector globally this week to observe the annual celebration of the World Maritime Day held in the last week of September each year as set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and South Africa joins the activity over two days in Badplaas, Mpumalanga on Thursday and Friday.

Domestically, organized and driven by the national Department of Transport, the World Maritime Day 2018 event in Mpumalanga Province that begun on Thursday morning is the second such to be to held in one of South Africa’s five internal provinces in last few years.

The purpose thereof, according to the DoT, is to continue to enhance greater public awareness countrywide about the country’s maritime status and its significance and contribution to socio economic development.

Transport Department Deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga

“Every year, the IMO observes and celebrates the World Maritime Day (WMD). This event usually takes place during the last week of September each year. It is an IMO event that serves to promote awareness and maximize participation of all maritime transport stakeholders in order to promote safe, secure and environmentally sound seas.

“For the year 2018, the IMO Council and Assembly adopted the theme: “IMO 70: Our Heritage – Better Shipping for a Better Future”. This theme provides the opportunity to take stock and look back, but also to look forward, addressing current and future challenges for maritime sector.

“In 2016 World Maritime Day was celebrated in the Free State Province and saw participation from the two adjoining provinces of Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. Notably so it was a celebration within the perimeters of the Gariep Dam.

A unique looking cultural centre in Baadplaas located near the venue of this year’s celebration of the World Maritime Day 2018 in Mpumalanga

“In 2017, the event was celebrated at a coastal town of Port St Johns which was in part celebrating the centenary of OR Tambo. This year, Mpumalanga is hosting the 2018 celebration at Baadplaas Forever Resort,” said the DoT

For a full statement by DoT Deputy Minister Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, click on the three minute video below:

Dozens of pupils from local schools in Baadplaas attending Thursday’s Day 1 national celebration of the World Maritime Day 2018 in Mpumalanga Province

According to the DoT, this year’s event will be used to profile the World Maritime Day celebration and in the process, raise general public awareness about the maritime sector, particularly the inland communities, raise awareness of the contribution of the maritime sector to the socio-economic lives of South Africans and enhance awareness among particularly school learners from previously disadvantaged communities in the province of Mpumalanga and throughout the country about the career opportunities available in the maritime sector.

Countering what the department describes as a general lack of awareness and ignorance about the maritime sector and which makes it difficult for the public and the media to have interests in the industry, this year’s celebration will focus among other things on South Africa a coastal and a port state, the country’s vision for its maritime sector, its global positioning as a well trusted partner with the IMO and a strategic and trusted partner in the fight against piracy.

Information will also be shared about South Africa preparations to host the 2020 World Maritime Day Parallel Event, the first to be hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Friday’s event will see several senior national and provincial government officials, inclusive of the Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, senior management of the South African Maritime Safety Authority and others converge Baadplaas Report for the official function starting 9am through to 2.30pm

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SAMSA firmly puts foot down on SA fishermen safety law compliance: PE fishing firm forced to toe the line!

File Photo: Fishing vessels berthed at the port of Port Elizabeth

Pretoria: 24 September 2018

Ensuring maximum safety for fishermen crews in South Africa’s commercial fishing sector should be a matter of common sense both from a basic human and business perspective.

This is particularly so for employers in the sector in view of the stark fact that owners as well as skippers of fishing vessels that flout legislation for the protection of fishermen can face both jail terms of a minimum one year, as well as a fine of up to R40 000 per incident when found in contravention.

This is according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) at the weekend following an incident in Port Elizabeth a few days earlier during which a fishing vessel was prohibited to sail after the owners and skipper were established to have contravened sections of the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations (MOS Regs) 1994.

The contravention concerned, in particular, Regulation 4 of the MOS Regs (1994) relating to compulsory provision of safety equipment and facilities by employers to fishermen whilst at sea.

File Photo: In the foreground to the left, a fisherman working on fishing equipment at the port of Port Elizabeth

A SAMSA report last week indicated that an ad hoc inspection of the Fv Silver Explorer, managed by Talhado Fishing Enterprises on behalf of M B Fishing Ventures, berthed at the port of Port Elizabeth had found that the vessel’s crew had to personally pay for some of their required safety clothing, which were ‘oilskin pants, trousers and gumboots’.

The report states: “During an ad hoc inspection on the Fv Silver Explorer (on Wednesday morning) everything was found to be in order except that the crew was still paying for their Oilskin pants and oilskin trousers, as well as their gumboots.

“These items are part of their protective clothing as per Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations, 1994, Reg 4 which is for the (vessel) Owners Account. Corrective action was to prohibit the vessel from sailing until the matter was addressed in terms of regulations and proof thereof forwarded to SAMSA.”

SAMSA says that afternoon, Talhado Fishing Enterprises responded with a written commitment to rectify the situation by supplying the involved clothing items at its own expense going forward.

File Photo: A SAMSA official chatting to fishermen in Mossel Bay

In the written response, among other things, the fishing vessel’s shore skipper, Mr Robert Mentzel said: “This letter serves to confirm that Talhado Fishing Enteprises will cover the cost of protective clothing; 1 x Oilskin jacket, 1 oilskin pants, 1 x gumboots, 2 pairs of socks….from the opening of November 2018

“Initially, the skipper will hand out the PPE on sailing day open season and the crew will hand over the PPE to the skipper on docking day. A register will be kept on board by the skipper to control this.”

After receipt of the commitment, SAMSA lifted the sailing prohibition and allowed the vessel a free run.

However, SAMSA described the outcome of the case, where the company committed to self-finance protective clothing for its fishermen crew, in according with law, as a major milestone in the promotion of and monitoring of compliance with law by the commercial fishing sector with regards to fishermen safety.

In fact, SAMSA said, the Wednesday incident occurred just a one other fishing company, also in Port Elizabeth, had embraced the legal requirement to supply its fishermen crew with personal protective equipment at the fishing vessel owner’s cost.

SAMSA reported that “the company manages 15 vessels with crews of between 20 and 25 persons at R1200,00 per annum per person- which means over 330 crews with a total saving back in their pockets of over R400 000 per year.”

File Photo: Bags full of ice used for storage of fish in fishing in South Africa’s commercial fishing vessels

According to SAMSA, all licensed fishing companies in South Africa are aware of the MOS Regulations.1994, yet violation remains prevalent in a sector where no less than 3000 fishermen – in the southern region of the country at least – remain exposed to industry practices that leave them financing certain items of their workplace Personal Protective Clothing/Equipment (PPE) contrary to provisions of the law.

In the process, what earnings fishermen made during their employment were significantly reduced, with massive negative impacts to their social lives.

A victory for SA fishermen!

“This is a victory for the fishermen as it will result in a saving for each and every fisherman, with money back in their accounts,” said SAMSA, further noting that enforcement will continue to ensure that all companies adhere to the regulations and that where they are found to have failed, it is made sure that they are “dealt with in accordance with the regulations.”

SAMSA’s Fishing Indaba delves deep into safety issues in Cape Town 2018

Regular consultations and information sharing continues with the sector about the issues, the latest meeting having taken place in Cape Town in July this year.

According to SAMSA, South Africa as a Member State of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and with close relations with the International Labour Organization (ILO), is not only committed to ensuring compliance with own legislation but also with ensuring implementation of various other international related instruments including the ILO’s Working in Fishing Convention 188 (2007) relating to the promotion of fishermen and fishing vessels safety and working conditions.

In fact, the country has been praised globally for its leading role in the promotion of fishermen and fishing vessels’ safety the world over, particularly in the last 13 years and during which period accidents and deaths have reduced in South Africa from double to single digits per annum.

The ILO in particular recently heaped praised on South Africa, but SAMSA in particular for its contribution to the development of the implementation of Convention 188 and which was historically implemented in this country for the first time in December 2017.

South Africa has also been a major contributor to the IMO’s ‘Cape Town Agreement’ On the Implementation of the Provisions of Torremolinos Protocol of 1993 relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977.

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Women the target of new maritime education bursary in honor of Sindiswa Nhlumayo: SAIMI

Pretoria: 16 September 2018

Women education in South Africa’s maritime sector has been given a shot in the arm with the recent launch of a new merit bursary in honour of the late Ms Sindiswa ‘Tu’ Nhlumayo, a former South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) executive and reputably a pioneer in skills development in the sector.

12744557_10207256728928053_2479532059546471625_n (2) — The late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo

The new merit bursary known as the Sindiswa Nhlumayo Merit Bursary, conceived, developed and administered by the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) based at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, was launched recently and is now open for applications until end November.

According to Mr Odwa Mtati, Projects Manager at SAIMI, the new bursary is in recognition and acknowledgement of the pioneering work of Ms Nhlumayo in the field of skills development for the maritime economic sector while at the employ of SAMSA in Pretoria as head of its Centre for Maritime Excellence.

Ms Nhlumayo, also an academic and work performance multi-award winner, passed away in February 2016.

Significantly, said Mr Mtati, the new maritime education funding would target primarily women in South Africa as a means to increase their opportunities in the sector. The main reason was the apparently miniscule number of women in the sector, which he said constituted a mere two (2) percent of all workers.

“SAIMI is proud to announce the establishment of the Sindiswa Nhlumayo Merit Bursary to enable young black women to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies in maritime-related fields and achieve success in their careers in the oceans economy.

FOR WOMEN: (From Left) Ms Nozipho Nhlumayo (sister of Sindiswa) and Ms Tanaka Mugabe displaying a certificate in confirmation of the establishment of a new maritime education bursary in honour of the late Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo during launch in Port Elizabeth recently

“The bursary has been created to honour the memory of Sindiswa Nhlumayo and her substantial contribution to the growth of the maritime sector and skills development in South Africa. Her leadership, her passion for the maritime economy and commitment to empowering young people to enter maritime careers, made her a much-loved role model to many,” said SAIMI in a statement during launch of the new bursary in Port Elizabeth two weeks ago.

For Mr Mtati’s full remarks, click on the two minutes video below.

Meanwhile, the SAIMI initiative has been met with excitement and full support by SAMSA, describing it as a necessary and opportune intervention for women in maritime education and skills development, while also a highly significant and appropriate gesture in honour of its former employee, Ms Nhlumayo.

SAMSA is a pioneering founding member of SAIMI which was established in 2014. Key among its activities is the management of the country’s National Cadet Programme.

Mr Sobantu Tilayi. Chief Operations Officer: SAMSA

Reacting to the launch of the Sindiswa Nhlumayo Merit Bursary for women keen on maritime education and training, SAMSA Chief Operations Officer, Mr Sobantu Tilayi said: “Firstly we thank SAIMI for the initiative and we feel honoured to be associated with the name of someone such as Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo who was a colleague to me and a hard worker.

“The legacy that she left, having worked so hard to try and focus the whole issue of capacity building for the maritime industry, to support the maritime economy, required us to acknowledge her,” he said.

Crucially, it was the targeting of particularly women that the launch of the bursary remains highly significant, he said.

For Mr Tilayi’s full remarks (three minutes), Click on the video below

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Veteran SA mariner and global shipping and fishing vessels’ safety guru, Captain Nigel Campbell retires: SAMSA

GOING ON RETIREMENT: Captain Nigel Campbell (centre with box) being big farewell by senior SAMSA management (From Left) Company Secretary Mr Lolo Raphadu, Corporate Affairs acting head Ms Nthabiseng Tema and Chief Operations Officer, Mr Sobantu Tilayi

Port Elizabeth: 14 September 2018

Veteran South African Master Mariner and an accomplished global shipping and fishing vessels and labour safety guru, Captain Nigel Campbell of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) formally went into retirement on Friday, the organization announced in Port Elizabeth.

Capt Campbell who turned 65 years old in September 2018, retired on Friday after 47 years in the country’s maritime sector, primarily as a mariner, then a ship’s surveyor before becoming an administrator for 16 of his 19 years of service at SAMSA – the latter which he joined in 1999, just as year after the agency was established.

Captain Nigel Campbell (65), Deputy Chief Operations Officer at SAMSA, retires.

At the time of his retirement, he had risen to the position of Deputy Chief Operations Officer but with yet full responsibility for general management of shipping anf fishing vessels matters as pertaining to SAMSA’s sphere of regulation.

Shipping regulation particularly from a safety perspective was an area of his specialization to the extent that he become SAMSA and the country’s constant representative at international meetings involving the London based International Maritime Organization (IMO) as well as at the International Labour Organization (ILO).

According to SAMSA, it was both Capt Campbell’s passion for especially fishing vessels safety and fishermen’s welfare globally that he not only pioneered by also led both the IMO and ILO in development of regulation management of these aspects through instruments including the IMO’s Cape Town Agreement and ILO’s Convention 188, the latter which was officially implemented first in South Africa at the end of 2017.

Captain Nigel Campbell with his with wife of 37 years, Mrs Mandi Campbell during Wednesday’s formal send-off function held in Port Elizabeth.

Speaking at a send-off function held at the Little Walmer Golf Club in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday afternoon, SAMSA Chief Operations Officer, Mr Sobantu Tilayi described Capt Campbell as a doyen of the country’s maritime sector vessels’ safety regulation whose dedication and strength of character saw him achieve far more than could be reasonably expected, both locally and internationally.

Mr Sobantu Tilayi, SAMSA COO, making farewell notes on Capt Nigel Campbell’s ‘Happy Retirement’ card during Wednesday’s sendoff function held at the Little Walmer Golf Club in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday afternoon

He described him as not only one of the most ‘incorruptable individuals’ in his area of operations but also an industry acknowledged strict disciplinarian who would be satisfied only with high degrees of efficiency.

Mr Tilayi also confirmed that while Capt Campbell officially retires, he will remain in touch with SAMSA and industry on a consultancy basis from November 2018.

For his part, Capt Campbell said: “It was an illustrious career which I enjoyed very much.” He thanked SAMSA for opportunities it had given him and wished the agency well into the future as it celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018.

For Mr Sobantu’s full remarks in his reflection on Capt Campbell’s service record and character (4-minutes), as well as Captain Campbell’s and three other’s farewell remarks (3-minutes) click on the video below.

The ILO also weighed on in on Capt Campbell’s official retirement, describing him as a major contributor to oceans transport labour safety regulation.

In a video message shared at Capt Campbell’s send off function, Mr Brandt Wagner, ILO’s head of maritime transport policy sectoral unit, said: “Capt Campbell has a long history of working with the ILO on maritime issues. Some of the highlights of his work is that Nigel served as the chairperson of the Committee of the Fishing Sector at the 96th Session of the international labour conference in 2007 which adopted the Work In Fishing Convention 188.

“It was, to a great extent, due to his leadership that key problems were sorted out, and that the conference was not only able to adopt the Convention, but do so with overwhelming positive votes.

“Nigel chaired the tripartite experts meeting to adopt the guidelines on Flag State Inspections under the maritime labour convention in Geneva in 2008. He also chaired the ILO meetings that adopted Flag and Port State Guidelines based on Convention 188, and also the Global Dialogue Forum on the promotion of that convention..

“But besides chairing everything in sight, largely because he got things done, he helped the ILO with many other events around the world,” he said.

For Mr Wagner’s full remarks (three minutes) click on the video below.

More photos of guests and Capt Campbell’s colleagues at the send-off function.

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Skills development still a key priority for SA maritime economic sector: SAMSA

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Head Office. Pretoria.

Pretoria: 10 September 2018

Talent nurturing as part of a broad based skills development strategy for South Africa’s economy, but particularly the country’s maritime economic sector, remains a top priority according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

The remarks by SAMSA Chief Operations Officer, Mr Sobantu Tilayi came at the weekend as the government agency hosted a send-off event for one of its employees, Mr Siphosenkosi Mthembu who jetted off on Saturday to Malmo, Sweden for a two-year academic study at the World Maritime University.

Mr Mthembu will be pursuing a Master’s level course of study in Shipping and Logistics, supported by both the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) and SAMSA.

SPREADING WINGS: (From Left) Mr Sobantu Tilayi, Chief Operations Officer, South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) congratulating the agency employee, Mr Siphosenkosi Mthembu who jetted off to Sweden at the weekend to begin his year and half Master’s level maritime studies at the World Maritime University.

Mr Mthembu embarks on the academic study in Europe having spent close on six (6) years as an employee of SAMSA in its certification unit, a service record that began in 2013 shortly after he’d completed his junior degree in maritime studies at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), following to which he also acquired a post graduate degree in maritime studies through the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

SAMSA’s support of Mr Mthembu includes his retention as an employee of the organization on his return in a year and a half from 2018.

IMG-20180907-WA0000 — Mr Sipho Mthembu (Centre back with blue jacket) with family and colleagues at SAMSA during a send-off gathering on Thursday last week at SAMSA Head Office, Pretoria to wish him ‘bon voyage’ to the World Maritime University in Sweden where he will spend the next two years.

Speaking shortly after an event on Thursday last week to bid Mr Mthembu farewell, and which was attended by some of his family members, Mr Tilayi said that while South Africa’s economy currently was being battered on all sides by indicators that clearly reflected that not all was well, it was not time to fold arms and prepare for better times.

The drive towards improvement of education and skills development and placement of especially talented South African through institutions of learning, in the country and abroad, should not slow down but speed up

“We are very tight on skills particularly in the maritime economic sector and it is initiatives of this nature that we want to support as SAMSA. It is people like Sipho who’ve demonstrated talent that we want to lend all the support we can.”

For Mr Tilayi’s full remarks, click on the three minutes video below.

For his part, Mr Mthembu was ecstatic for having gained the opportunity and support to further his maritime education studies particularly at an international institution dedicated to education and training in the sector. He will be joining the ranks of several other South Africans who have studied at World Maritime University since the programme was initiated by SAMSA jointly with other partners about four years.

For a brief chat with Mr Mthembu click on the three minutes video below.

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A unique boat building initiative momentarily turns Benoni, in Gauteng, into a ‘Viking Village’!

Some of Benoni residents dressed as vikings during the official launch and floating of the unique wooden ‘viking’ leisure boat at the Benoni Sailing Club on Saturday

Pretoria: 03 September 2018

Economic and social development opportunities in South Africa’s maritime and marine economic sector remain hugely abundant if only current and aspirant entrepreneurs looked closely enough and made the effort to explore and exploit them.

Furthermore, such opportunities are not even confined to areas closest the country’s three oceans, but can be identified and exploited even in inland areas as was again ably demonstrated in Benoni, Gauteng at the weekend.

The Nordic Sea ‘viking’ leisure boat being officially floated at the Benoni Sailing Club with owner builder Mr Daniel Bungay at the helm.

This was the main sentiment to emerge within the country’s maritime sector at the weekend after the East Rand town of Benoni, a stone’s throw from Johannesburg, was momentarily turned into a “Viking village” when the local sailing club hosted the official launch of a unique ‘viking’ leisure boat conceived, hand-built and floated by resident entrepreneur, Mr Daniel Bungay.

Close on a thousand people turned up for the event at the Benoni Sailing Club on Saturday, many dressed up as Vikings to witness the formal unveiling and floating of the “The Nordic Sea” – an eight to 10-seater boat built with wood by Mr Bungay in just under two months at his home.

‘Viking’ leisure boat owner and builder, Mr Dainel Bungay (centre) celebrating the formal official launch of his new vessel, The North Sea, at the Benoni Sailing Club on Saturday

To ensure compliance with both its construction design and build material suitability and safety, Mr Bungay had roped in the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) for guidance and during the unveiling and launch ceremony on Saturday, the government agency duly handed Mr Bungay his new boat compliance certificate.

According to Mr Bungay, the leisure, paddles driven vessel, will be part of an arsenal in his new business venture, Greenhouse Factory, to provide unaccredited personnel training courses that include team building to companies local and countrywide.

“A dream delivered!” Mr Daniel Bungay, owner of the viking leisure boat, The Nordic Sea, thanking a crowd of about 1000 local Benoni residents for their attendance of the launch event on Saturday.

“It’s a dream come true, I feel delivered. It’s not just a boat, it’s a spirit.” said Mr Bungay in a brief interview. It was a dream about which he said he had worked hard in a very short time to realize and crucially, ably assisted by his wife, Ashleigh.

For Mr Bungay’s full interview click on the video below.

Meanwhile, Mr Imraan Davis, a provincial boat safety surveyor at SAMSA who handed over the boat’s compliance certificiate on Saturday, described Mr Bungay’s wooden boat building initiative as one of a kind, but an entrepreneurial vision realized and in its wake, was demonstrative of the opportunities that exist in the country’s marine and maritime economy sector.

A JOB WELL DONE: Mr Imraan Davis of SAMSA (Left) congratulating viking leisure boat builder and owner, Mr Daniel Bungay during the formal official launch of the small vessel at the Benoni Sailing Club on Saturday.

“It’s the first time I have seen something like this being undertaken inland to be floating today and SAMSA is actually proud to have been of assistance with the initiative,” said Mr Davis during an interview with a local community radio station.

For Mr Davis’ full remarks, click on the video below:

Shortly before formal launch and first floating of the vessel at the Benoni Sailing Club waterway, Mr Bungay shared his vision for the initiative with the local community. For the moving rendition, in a poetic style, please click on the video below:

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