matric pupils – The 10th Province

OBSERVING WORLD MARITIME DAY 2018: Transport Department deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga admiring some of several school children handiwork of miniature ships for the display during the celebration of World Maritime Day 2018 at Badplaas, Mpumalanga on Thursday and Friday last week.

01 October 2018

Maritime education and skills development remain the vital ingredient for South Africa in her drive to unlock fully the huge value residing in its maritime sector, according to the Department of Transport.

This was said by deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga on Friday during the marking and celebration of the World Maritime Day 2018 held over two days at eManzana (Badplaas) in Mpumalanga Province.

Transport Department deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga

She was addressing a crowd of mostly young school children in their matric year who were essentially the target of this year’s marking of the international event as driven and guided by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to which South Africa is a member.

Also represented were some State owned entities in the transport sector under the Department of Transport inclusive of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), South African Ports Regulator, the Mpumalanga provincial government and local government authorities under which Badplaas falls.

According to Ms Chikunga, targeting young school children from schools in the area was part of a concerted effort by the DoT and government in general to raise and enhance greater public awareness countrywide about South Africa’s status as a fully fledged maritime region and upon which the rest of the world also count on for oceans trade and safety and security, hence its high profile role both in regional, continental and global institutions concerned with maritime matters.

Marking World Maritime Day 2018: (Seated, from Left) Transport Department deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga with several local, provincial and national government officials that include Gert Sibande District Municipality Councillor Mr Nkosi and (Standing from Right), Mr Sobantu Tilayi of SAMSA), Mr Dumisani Ntuli of DoT; Ms Shulami Qalinge of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA)Mr Mahesh Fakir, the Ports Regulator and Mr Gideon Mashigo, an MEC for Transport, Mpumalanga Province.

Ms Chikunga described it as proper that South Africa should mark the World Maritime Day annually, and in the process reflect on both its needs and challenges relating to the maritime sector.

Currently she said, education and skills development were the key to unlocking the country’s maritime sector value both economically and socially. Towards this end, the DoT in particular, together with partners in the public and private sectors were offering as much financial and related assistance as possible to the country’s youths keen on pursuing tertiary studies in the sector in South Africa and abroad.

The country’s youth in internal provinces such as Mpumalanga, Free State, North West, Limpopo and Gauteng – all of which are far from the oceans – were not excluded from the maritime education, training and skills development initiatives, nor were those either poor or based in rural communities.

Celebrating World Maritime Day 2018: A part of group of about 400 pupils from schools in the eManzana (Badplaas) area of the Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga province being take through a water safety demonstration by the NSIR and SAPS on Friday. For more pics: see below.

This was, she said, partly evidenced and demonstrated by the alternative staging of the World Maritime Day annually in both coastal and inland provinces – with 2018 having been the turn of Mpumalanga Province, after the Eastern Cape a year ago, and the Free State in the year before.

Ms Chikunga outlined at length the types and kind of education, training and skills development initiatives available to South African youths across the board. For more on this, Click on the video below.

Held over two days – the Thursday and Friday last week at both the Vygeboom/Oppi Dam and the Badplaas Forever Resorts – the celebration of the World Maritime Day 2018 saw as many 400 pupils from the Gert Sibande District Municipality or greater eManzana area exposed to both basic waters skills, primarily safety, demonstrated by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and the South African Police Services (SAPS) water division, as well as career exhibitions.