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

 ipm-samsa

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.

 

End.

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.

SOUTH AFRICA’S MARITIME ECONOMIC SECTOR NOW FIRMLY ON THE NATIONAL AGENDA!

The port of Cape Town, one of the country's busiest of seven commercial ports dotted along South Africa's 3900km long coastline.
The port of Cape Town, one of the country’s busiest of seven commercial ports dotted along South Africa’s 3900km long coastline.

Pretoria: 22 February 2016

South Africans might hurriedly get used to and settle permanently with the knowledge that their’s is a maritime country whose vast oceans remain central to its economic development into the future, according to Department of Transport deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga.

IMG_1648
Department of Transport Deputy Minister: Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga.

Ms Chikunga told mourners at a funeral of a senior manager of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Ms Sindiswa Carol Nhlumayo; in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend that the development of the country’s maritime economy – long suffering neglect yet with abundant economic resources – was now firmly in government’s national agenda and that no effort was being sparred by the State to ensure that requisite infrastructure, along with appropriate human skills were invested upon.

According to government estimations, South Africa’s oceans inclusive of an Exclusive Economic Zone equivalent some 1.5-million square kilometers along a coastline equivalent some 3900km, have the potential to contribute up to R177-billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and create more than one million jobs by 2033.

Ms Chikunga is the designated cabinet minister for co-ordination of South Africa’s maritime economic sector development and which effort is being pursued through the Operation Phakisa (Ocean Economy) programme – a joint initiative between the State, the private sector as well as educational and research institutions.

Operation Phakisa (Ocean Economy) was launched in October 2014 targeting for rapid development over the next five years, five subsectors of the country’s maritime economy; Off-shore Oil and Gas, Marine Transport and Manufacturing, Marine protection services and Ocean governance, Aquaculture and Marine Tourism.

Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo, former Executive Head, Centre for Maritime Excellence
Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo, former Executive Head of SAMSA’s Centre for Maritime Excellence

Ms Chikunga bemoaned the premature death of Ms Nhlumayo, an executive head of SAMSA’s Centre for Maritime Excellence; whom she described as having been a major contributor to both the country’s tourism strategy development as well as a key national figure in the promotion of development of the maritime economic sector.

Ms Nhlumayo (45), also a PhD candidate in maritime economy studies at the Sweden-based World Maritime University, as well as a multi-award winner inclusive of the Institute of People Management (IPM) “Business Leader of the Year 2015”, died of cancer on 11 February 2016.

Ms Nhlumayo had been central to development and implementation of national human resources skills development initiatives for particularly the maritime sector and had been instrumental in forging relationships between national and international education institutions inclusive of the World Maritime University that now has direct links with the Port Elizabeth based Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Since 2012 as many as 22 South Africans have read for Masters and Doctoral degree in maritime studies at the World Maritime University. In addition, several other South African youths, supported by SAMSA; are enrolled for maritime economy studies in Vietnam. Similar opportunities are currently being explored with institutions in the Phillipines.

IMG_0310Ms Chikunga said Ms Nhlumayo’s death was unfortunate as it came at a time when SAMSA was gathering speed with several of its promotional programmes of the country’s maritime economic sector and which has now seen commercial cargo vessels carrying the country’s flag for the first time in more than 30 years.

Two of these were registered late in 2015, while according to SAMSA Chief Executive Officer, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele; 12 others are currently awaiting approval.

For Ms Chikunga’s full remarks, view the video clip: (Warning: the deputy Minister’s entire speech is in isiZulu)

Ms SINDISWA CAROL NHLUMAYO LAID TO REST

South Africans join the world in paying warm tributes to Ms Sindiswa Carol Nhlumayo, executive head of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Centre for Maritime Excellence.

Mourners attending Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo's memorial service in Pretoria on Thursday, February 18, 2016
Mourners attending Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo’s memorial service in Pretoria on Thursday, 18 February 2016

Pretoria: 21 February, 2016

Ms Sindiswa Carol Nhlumayo was laid to rest during a funeral service held at her rural village home at Emvutshini, Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday.

Ms Nhlumayo, 45, an Executive Head of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Centre for Maritime Excellence since formation in 2011, died on Thursday, February 11, 2016; after a courageous battle with cancer.

Since her passing away a week ago, tributes have poured in from South Africa and abroad, with several institutions, friend and acquaintances, family and colleagues expressing anguish at her death, virtually all describing her passing on as a sad loss for the country, particularly in the tourism, human resources development and maritime economic sectors.

Mourners at Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo and her aunt Nonsikelelo Nhlumayo who both died of cancer on the same a week ago and were laid to rest at their Emvutshini home in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal on Saturday, 20 February 2016
Mourners at Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo and her aunt Nonsikelelo Nhlumayo funeral service  on Saturday. The two women both died of cancer on the same day a week ago and were laid to rest at their Emvutshini home in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal on Saturday, 20 February 2016

Incidentaly, Ms Nhlumayo, a PhD student candidate with the Sweden-based World Maritime University; passed away on the same day as her aunt, Nonsikelelo Nhlumayo; who also tragically suffered from cancer – for what proved a double tragedy for their family on the rolling hills of Emvutshini overlooking vast fields of sugarcane and banana forests a few kilometres south of Port Shepstone.

National Transport Department deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, paying tribute to Ms Nhlumayo during her funeral service in Port Shepstone on Saturday, 20 February 2016.
National Transport Department deputy Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, paying tribute to Ms Nhlumayo during her funeral service in Port Shepstone on Saturday, 20 February 2016.

At their joint funeral on Saturday, among several dignitaries and high ranking officials attending were national Transport Department deputy Mininster, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, the National Heritage Council chief executive officer, Sonwabile Mangcotywa, Tourism Business Council chief executive officer Ms Matsatsi Ramawela, representatives of national government departments inclusive of the Department of Tourism, the Department of Higher Education, and the Department of Environmental Affairs, the local mayor as well as representatives of the local traditional leadership.

They joined the institutional leadership of SAMSA led by chief executive officer by Commander Tsietsi Mokhele and chief operating officer, Sobantu Tilayi as well as hundreds of mourners from across the country.

Ms Nhlumayo’s funeral service on Saturday was preceded by a memorial service held in Pretoria on Thursday and during which many people, from across the world, including the World Maritime University,  paid tribute to her memory.

For both these services, audio-visuals have been captured and are being shared along with photographs on the special page on this blog dedicated to Ms Nhlumayo’s memory, beginning with the shortened version below, providing highlights of the funeral in Port Shepstone on Saturday.

To view click here

 

South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in mourning!

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has been left devastated following the passing away of one of its senior managers, Ms Sindiswa Nhlumayo, who passed away on Thursday night, February 11, 2016 after a battle with cancer.

Sindiswa NhlumayoMs Nhlumayo (45), an Executive Head of SAMSA’s Centre for Maritime Excellence was a highly recognized business leader and manager acknowledged worldwide for her acumen and style. 

To read more on this click here…..

 

 

 

South Africa’s inaugural Ocean Festival heralds the country’s new marine sector tourism and leisure strategy!

PRETORIA: October 15, 2015

South Africa’s oceans are to take on a wholly new, exciting approach to recreation and leisure, and deliver a further much needed boost to national marine tourism business and investment with the launch in October of a national Ocean Festival in Cape Town.

The sea location at the port of Cape Town near V&A Waterfront where the inaugural SA Ocean Festival takes place at end of October 2015.
The sea location at the port of Cape Town near V&A Waterfront where the inaugural SA Ocean Festival takes place at end of October 2015.

Initiated and driven by the SA Maritime Safety (SAMSA) Centre of Maritime Excellence together with partners, Worldsport and V&A Waterfront and backed by sponsors including investment firm, Calulo Group; the inaugural national Ocean Festival is the first of a series to be held annually, with plans to link it to the international Volvo Ocean Race every third year, and is aimed as a platform to further grow and expand the country’s marine tourism and leisure sector.

To read more… Click Here.