South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) recognized for empowerment and transformation

Pretoria: 14-04-2016

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DESERVING RECOGNITION:  South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) CEO, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele making a remark of appreciation to organisers of the national annual Oliver Empowerment Awards 2016 during which the parastatal was honoured with the Legend of Empowerment and Transformation Award. The award category is uncompetitive and bestowed on organisations in the country deemed by the award judges as deserving public recognition.

An apparent and ‘disturbing’ poor intake of post-graduate students by South Africa’s business sector is at best, an unusual and unacceptable anomaly given both the students’ significant academic knowledge depth but also vast economic opportunities especially in the country’s maritime economic sector.

That was the sum total of remarks by South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) chief executive officer, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele in his acceptance speech of the Oliver Empowerment Awards 2016’s Legends of Empowerment and Transformation Award bestowed the organisation at a ceremony held at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Thursday.

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SAMSA CEO, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele (Third from Right) with some of the organisation’s management team (from Left), Morakabe ‘Raks’ Seakgwa (Snr Manager, Centre for Maritime Excellence), Mr John Phiri (Snr Management, HR: Skills Development), Ms Lindi Makgatho (Snr Manager: Organisational Development), Mr Tudor Hungwe (Chief Financial Officer) and Mr Jeremiah Molefe (HR).

SAMSA was honored with the prestigious Legend of Empowerment and Transformation Award at this year’s 15th version  of the Annual Oliver Empowerment Awards in recognition of its sterling record in the arena of empowerment and contribution to the country’s broad transformation.

Mr Mokhele, responding in part to Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor’s complaint in her speech at the event about an apparent glaring lack of appetite by South African business for post-graduates, Mr Mokhele said the country’s maritime economic sector offers vast opportunities especially for business keen on research and innovation.

He quantified the economic benefit for innovators in the maritime economic sector as worth between R129-R179-billion per annum, and waiting for the takers.

For Mr Mokhele’s full remarks on the matter listen to this 58 seconds audi clip….

For highlights of SAMSA’s work honored at this year’s Oliver Awards 2016, please click here

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South Africa Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor

In an earlier slot, main guest speaker Ms Pandor decried South Africa’s poor intake of post-graduates by the country’s businesses and outlined interventions taken by the Department of Science and Technology in response to the situation.

These include the establishment a decade ago of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to bridge what she described as “chasm” between research and development from higher education institutions, science councils, public entities, and private sector, and commercialisation.

For Ms Pandor’s full remarks click here to listen…

 

 

SOUTH AFRICAN MARITIME SAFETY AUTHORITY (SAMSA) GAINS RECOGNITION FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION AND EMPOWERMENT

SAMSA to receive the honorary Oliver Empowerment’s ‘Legend of Empowerment & Transformation Award’ 2016. 

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20160315_105138Pretoria: 15 March 2016

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has warmly welcomed news of its being honoured with the prestigious “Legend of Empowerment and Transformation Award” at this year’s 15th round of the Annual Oliver Empowerment Awards – this in recognition of its sterling record in the arena of empowerment and contribution to the country’s broad transformation.

News of the pending bestowing of the award to SAMSA at a function scheduled for Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg next month, was confirmed by Top Media and Communications (Topco) editorial director Ryland Fisher to SAMSA Chief Executive Officer, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele at the weekend.

“It is with great pride (that) we will be honoring the South African Maritime Safety Authority​ (SAMSA) at the 15th Annual Oliver Empowerment Awards. SAMSA​ has been chosen by our Editorial Board and selected among an elite few of true empowerment ambassadors to be honored a ‘LEGEND OF EMPOWERMENT AND TRANSFORMATION’,” announced Mr Fisher.

Image courtersy of Oliver Empowerment Awards
Image courtersy of Oliver Empowerment Awards

The Annual Oliver Empowerment Awards, now in their 15th year are noted as the country’s premier accolades ‘for leadership and innovation in empowerment and transformation’ and have, according to Topco, “created a legacy of inspiration for the country’s business elite”, as well as “given South Africa the opportunity to recognize outstanding leaders – individuals or organizations who have exemplified inspiration, vision, innovation, leadership, and action for empowerment and transformation. Their success is legendary in the world of business today.”

According to Topco, the awards ceremony is scheduled for the Emperor’s Palace, Johannesburg on April 14, 2016. The main guest speaker will be national Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor.

Previous winners of the Annual Oliver Empowerment awards include individual luminaries such as Sizwe Nxasana, former FirstRand Limited CEO, as well as private sector companies and public entities including German carmarker, Volkswagen South Africa, Mckinsey & Company, Coega Development Corporation and Eskom.

For more on this story, click here