The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) was established in 1998. SAMSA, under the Department of Transport is the national maritime safety agency whose primary task is maritime safety of the environment and with the help of the South African Search and Rescue Organisation, maritime search and rescue co-ordination.

SAMSA's main objectives:

• To ensure the safety of life and property at sea.
• To prevent and combat pollution of the marine environment by ships.
• To promote South Africa's maritime interests.

SAMSA 's primary areas of responsibility include:

• Participating in the development and implementation of national and international maritime safety and environmental protection standards.
• Enforcing technical and operational standards for all shipping operations in South African waters and for South African ships anywhere in the world.
• To promote responsible operations in terms of seaworthiness, safety and pollution prevention.
• Enforcing training standards and competency of seafarers.
• Managing the national capability to respond to maritime pollution incidents and other maritime emergencies.
• Operating the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) who co-ordinate maritime assistance services to detect and co-ordinate the location and rescue of people in maritime distress situations throughout the South African international Search and Rescue Region.
• Overseeing the provision of maritime distress and safety communications services for South Africa's responsibilities under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems.
• Administering South Africa's voluntary ship reporting system (SAFREP) for identifying and tracking ships at sea for safety purposes and to provide ships databases for responding to marine emergencies.
• Investigating maritime casualties.
• Delivering related services including: public awareness and education in marine safety and pollution prevention, administration of South Africa's ship registration system and publication of, and access to, ship safety and environmental standards.

On the international level:

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recognised SAMSA's contribution to the global maritime industry and the IMO Secretary General visited South Africa in 2007 to acknowledge these achievements. SAMSA representatives have been involved in various committees of the IMO, including the Maritime Safety Committee and the Marine Environment Committee, making South Africa one of the few emerging countries whose input is adopted as benchmarks for good practice by the IMO.

SAMSA's new CEO

Mr Tsietsi Mokhele was appointed as the new CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority's effective as of 1 January 2008. Mr Mokhele, also known as "The Commander" in the maritime industry, served in the South African Navy after obtaining his Ship Command qualifications in the Soviet Union. He led the Naval integration process as a Co-Chairperson within the South Africa's Transitional Executive Council (TEC). Prior to his appointment he served as Executive Manager at the National Ports Authority (NPA) and Head of Marine Businesses of all the SA Ports. The new CEO also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ship Navigation and Command from the Caspian Higher Naval College, Soviet Union, a Board Leadership Qualification from GIBS Business School, a Port and Terminal Management Certificate from Holland and is currently completing a Master of Management Degree at Wits University. Under his leadership, South Africa won the bid and hosted the conference of the International Harbour Masters Association for the first time on African soil. Mr. Mokhele's vast knowledge of business transformation and repositioning, customer and stakeholder management, capacity building and international maritime affairs will assist SAMSA in fulfilling its objective to become a leading maritime authority globally. He will also work to align SAMSA's strategic objectives with government strategies and the policies of the Department of Transport.

The Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC):

The MRCC, the maritime search and rescue arm of SAMSA, assists and monitors the safety of vessels in potentially dangerous situations.

These situations include:

• Vessels temporarily drifting "Not-Under-Command" (i.e. without power);
• Vessels suffering steering gear failure;
• Towing operations;
• Vessels posing pollution threats

MRCC Cape Town is the custodian of the SA Cospas-Sarsat beacon database and ensures that the Cospas-Sarsat beacon database is up to date and available on a 24-hour basis. In terms of the International Ship and Port State Security Requirements the MRCC handles and forwards an average of 7200 pre arrival messages to the Maritime Security Co-ordination Centre from ships trading with South Africa per year.

The MRCC is also the custodian of the SA EPIRB and PLB (emergency beacons) database.

The MRCC assists with medical advice incidents - assisting vessels to make contact with SA TMAS doctors for advice and assistance with medical incidents onboard when they are far from land and co-ordinates the evacuation of urgent medical cases from vessels at sea to hospitals.

The South African Search and Rescue Organisation does not have Search and Rescue units of its own - it makes use of assets from government, private and volunteer organisations for rescue operations. The SA Air Force has fixed wing aircraft and helicopters on 1-hour standby during normal working hours and 2-hour standby after hours. Naval standby vessels can be launched within 8 hours.

By Sarene Kloren