Pretoria: 30 June 2023
As has been standard over the last few years, Durban was one of three South African host cities for this year’s local celebrations as the country joined the global maritime community in marking Day of the Seafarer 2023.
With the day once again falling on a Sunday this year (25 June), South Africa marked the event two days later, on Tuesday, 27 June 2023 in three of its coastal cities; Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape, and Cape Town in the Western Cape, with Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga leading the event from Cape Town.
In Gqeberha, the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) took charge, while the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) hosted the Durban version of the event – all undertaken with this year’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) approved theme: “Marpol at 50. Our commitment goes on”.
Consistent with tradition over the last eight years, for official reasons, this blog once more toddled along with SAMSA, assigned Department of Transport (DoT) officials, and industry representatives to the Durban event.
On this page, we present you with an edited multimedia version of the SAMSA hosted celebration in Durban, and which was also livestreamed on the day.
The day’s proceedings began with official statements both by the Minister of Transport, Ms Chikunga, delivered on her behalf by Mr Dumisani Ntuli, chief director for Maritime Policies and Regulations; SAMSA acting CEO, Ms Zamachonco Chonco; representatives of the maritime sector business as well as seafarers; followed promptly by a panel discussion centred on the year’s Day of the Seafarer theme.
For the various keynote speeches and panel discussion, Click on the following videos, in their line of presentations on the day.
Below, a voice for seafarers on Day of Seafarer 2023
Below, the panel discussion in three (3) parts.
A word of graditude