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Daily Maverick
21-07-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
South Africa's dangerous fishing vessels spark urgent safety audit
A shipping shakedown is imminent as the SA Maritime Safety Authority finds many ships in South Africa's national fleet are unsafe and in poor condition. Fishing remains one of the deadliest jobs on Earth – and in Africa, the fatality rate for fishers is estimated to be 12 times the global average. These disturbing figures were shared by South Africa's Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa at the Cape Town launch of the marine safety audit. Since 1996, nearly 400 commercial fishing fatalities have been recorded in South Africa – more than half in the Western Cape – each representing a family, a community, and a promise lost to the ocean. The nationwide safety audit is under way – and the findings so far are as stark as the sea in winter: many of South Africa's fishing vessels are dangerously old, ill-maintained, illegally modified or simply operating outside basic safety norms. The consequences, as the deputy minister reminded all in attendance at the Cape Town docks launch, are counted not in rands and cents, but in coffins and missing bodies. For many, the horror of the 63‑year‑old fishing trawler Lepanto, which sank in just minutes on 17 May 2024 with the loss of 11 crew off Hout Bay, is still in their minds. Its sister ship, the Armana, caught fire only months later and was lost at sea. As Thandimfundo Mehlo, who led the SA Maritime Safety Authority's (Samsa's) audit team in Gqeberha noted: 'These tragedies were not freak accidents, but symptoms of a neglected system. 'We're sitting with fleets whose average age is 35 years, and many are over 60,' he said. 'Steel doesn't last forever. If owners don't maintain or modernise these ships, structural integrity is just a myth on paper – until it fails at sea.' His audit team in Gqeberha has spent months crawling into engine rooms and hulls, checking paperwork and examining vessels that should have been decommissioned decades ago. The findings? A pattern of expired certificates, makeshift repairs and shocking levels of noncompliance. Worse still, some owners have secretly modified vessels – extending decks or changing gear – to chase better catches in an overfished market. These shortcuts can destroy a vessel's stability, making it more vulnerable to capsizing or fire. 'Ship repair facilities are also in crisis,' Mehlo explained. 'There was a time, not long ago, when not one single dry dock was operational in this country. We were forced to keep giving exemptions, extending certificates so these rust buckets could keep working. It has come back to bite us.' When a door becomes a death sentence Even when a vessel's hull is sound, small oversights can kill. Principal Officer Captain Thembela Taboshe from Mossel Bay highlighted a detail so simple it seems absurd: open doors. 'When deck doors are left open in rough seas, one wave can flood a compartment, sink the ship and drown the crew in minutes,' Taboshe said. 'Basic drills, watertight doors – these are things that should be second nature. But we see again and again that the culture of safety is missing.' The audit revealed that safety drills are often tick-box exercises. Some crews cannot demonstrate evacuation procedures or don't even know how long it would take to get everyone off the vessel in an emergency. Navigation lights are out of place or blocked by deck clutter, leaving ships invisible at night. For fishers already battling brutal seas, these are risks they should not have to take. Lives are not bargaining chips Deputy Minister Hlengwa's speech cut through the defensive murmurs of industry guests in the room. Some worried about losing income while ships were inspected. But Hlengwa was unwavering: 'No profit is worth a life. Compliance is not optional. It is your responsibility.' He described the audit not as a tick-box exercise, but as 'a risk intervention in real time'. South Africa, as a signatory to the International Maritime Organization's 2012 Cape Town Agreement, is obliged to enforce stringent safety standards for fishing vessels – especially small vessels of under 10 metres, where capsizing is most common. For the new Government of National Unity, the audit was more than just policy housekeeping, said Hlengwa. It was about rebuilding trust between the people who fished for a living and the government that regulated them. 'Oversight is not just about identifying what is wrong,' he said, 'but about building a system that makes it right.' A sector under strain Fishing in South Africa is not just an industry. It is the lifeblood of coastal communities. It feeds a huge number of people and sustains tens of thousands of jobs. But the audit suggests a possibility that this backbone is buckling under the weight of neglect. Mehlo reminded the Cape Town gathering of this brutal reality: 'When we launched this audit in Port Elizabeth in March, we were clear that this was not ceremonial. Every hull and hatch involves a crew and a family waiting at home. Our job is to get those crews home safely.' He praised the cooperative spirit shown by some vessel owners – but warned that enforcement had to bite where persuasion failed. 'We will strengthen our oversight. We will leverage digital tracking tools, risk profiling and, if needed, we will take non-compliant vessels out of the water. This is not about punishing the industry. It's about protecting it.' What happens now? So far, more than 160 vessels have been inspected, about 10% of the national fleet. Inspections have spanned every major port: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay, Saldanha Bay and Richards Bay. The audit team's preliminary report reads like a catalogue of an industry stuck in another century: old ships, dodgy modifications, patchy crew training and inadequate safety equipment. But the audit is only the beginning. The findings will feed into a national Fishing Vessel Safety Improvement Plan. This plan, according to the deputy minister, must tackle three urgent fronts: A recapitalisation programme to retire or modernise unsafe ships; Mandatory annual training and random drills for crew and owners; and Tough consequences – including prosecution – for owners who put profit above people. Critically, the audit aims to embed a culture shift. As Samsa board leaders put it, safety is not an annual trade-off; it's the foundation of sustainability and accountability. Safety as a culture Mehlo believes this mindset is long overdue. He recalls a telling conversation in Port Elizabeth: 'We were doing a stability test on an old trawler. The owner shrugged and said, 'It's always been fine.' The same sentiment echoes down the coast. But the science doesn't lie. And the ocean doesn't negotiate.' Captain Taboshe said she hoped the message got through before another tragedy unfolded. 'Please, just close the doors,' she told the audience, half-joking, half-pleading. 'If your parents taught you to close the door behind you, you can do it at sea too.' It's a simple habit – but one that might mean the difference between a crew coming home or not coming home. The final w o rd Back on the windswept quay in Cape Town, the final word belonged to the deputy minister. Standing stoically in a light drizzle beside the towering, rust-streaked hull of a stern trawler, he called for a reckoning that went beyond any single audit. 'Every life lost at sea is one too many. Every unsafe vessel is a threat, not just to a crew, but to an entire community. Safety is not a privilege – it is a right. Let us not wait for another tragedy to remind us of our duties. Let us act now.' From the deckhand on a 40-year-old trawler to the boardroom where fishing quotas are decided, the message is clear: safety is a priority and it will be enforced. And if the Marine Safety Audit does what it promises, the next generation of fishers might finally set sail on ships that are safe enough to bring them home. DM
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Gregor Samsa in Pakistan
Listen to article As Gregor Samsa — taking liberties with the character of Franz Kafka's novella The Metamorphosis — awoke one morning, the morning for him wasn't fine at all, even though it was drizzling outside in the sweltering summer. The reason? When he was asleep, he was time-travelled to Pakistan. He was greeted with darkness in the room as rain and electricity never get along well in Pakistan. Samsa stumbled to the water tap to shake off the jet lag by splashing water in his eyes. The tap was desert dry. He turned the tap on and off many a time, but not a single drop of water lingered. He staggered to the kitchen to turn the hob on, but he was out of the schedule for the gas supply. He wondered what part of the world he was at. He threw open the window to have a panoramic view of the world outside. He got perplexed when he saw some porch lights still on. Imbalance and inequality welcome Samsa to Asia — South Asia, to be more specific. Rainbound Samsa, to work from home, tried to turn on his laptop, but its battery was stone dead. His mobile phone also excused itself to help him, as it was on its last leg of battery power. Samsa was dumbfounded, as if he had time-travelled backwards on human civilisation's timeline. Later in the day, Samsa finds that most of the households in the neighbourhood have alternative sources of public services. People have UPS and solar energy installations. People don't depend on the municipal supply of water. They have installed their own water pumps in their houses. They use improvised gas compressors to suck the gas in larger quantities, leaving little for the neighbours who can't afford any alternative source. Samsa laments the individualistic self-sufficiency — too vivid here in its sinister form — spurred by the capitalistic mentalities and state laissez-faire. Samsa divides the households into have-nots and have-mores. He also finds that public services have trust issues here: they leave the house on their whims and come back as if nothing had happened. Before the lure of self-sufficiency, whenever a public service supply went off, the resourceful people pulled a few strings to help restore the supply. In a way, they did a community service. Samsa was surprised that in his land, people asked, "What do you do?" and here it's "Who do you know?" Over time, people got sick of frequent failures of public services. The upper crust of society started having their own sources of utilities. It all disturbed the social balance, making it worse for the have-nots. Samsa smiles at the paradox: those who have alternative sources of public services are accorded more supplies on the platter, while those who survive only on public services get less and disruptive. Disruptions in power supply, cable TV networks and internet supply precipitate the transformation of family entertainment into individualistic digital screen addiction. The youth then laid into by the elders for their addiction feel isolated and search for moorings in other cultures and climes. Samsa muses that in his land, people discussed Brexit, while here it's exit either from jail or from the country. Samsa laughs in his heart of hearts that the country runs on contradictions: late night political talk shows and early morning polycrises snowballing into threats. But he reels and rankles at the commodification of the public service of court justice which is becoming a luxury good. Samsa fails to perceive the failure of democracy, or rather its hijack. He observes democracy in its true form only in the classrooms where the teacher lectures and students vote - with yawns. All this comes down to existential uncertainty and systemic instability. Here, governments are toppled overnight by alien powers or a swish of judicial quill. Political parties are deprived of their identities or granted carte blanche to vandalise the constitution as might suit them. One segment of society enjoys an unprecedented exponential pay rise, while the other (government employees) creeps on roads for disparity reduction allowance. Seeing humans living such an abject existence, Samsa wishes that he remain in the fictional realms in his metamorphosed existence of a giant bug, which he had accepted without any demur.
Daily Maverick
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Minister to remove wrecks from small harbours after fishers' outcry
Remove your wrecks or we will and charge you, Dion George tells boat owners. In many small fishing harbours derelict and abandoned vessels clog moorings, pose safety risks and symbolise decades of government inaction. After facing fierce criticism from fishing communities during his recent Fishing for Freedom imbizo, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George has announced urgent action to remove them. George said this week that his department, in partnership with the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), has initiated a clean-up campaign targeting wrecked vessels across several proclaimed fishing harbours. These include Hout Bay, Gordon's Bay, Lamberts Bay, Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Under the authority of the Wreck and Salvage Act, vessel owners have been served notice: remove your sunken boats by 16 June 2025 or the government will do so – at your expense. 'For too long, these derelict vessels have been a blight on our harbours, endangering our marine environment and the safety of those who rely on these waters,' George said in a statement. 'I am committed to reversing this legacy of neglect and ensuring our coastal infrastructure supports both environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.' A tipping point in Hout Bay The announcement comes less than a month after a stormy public imbizo in Hout Bay, where the minister was met with frustration, anger and desperation from fishers, harbour tenants and community leaders. The gathering, part of a nationwide tour to engage with coastal fishing communities, was meant to focus on fishing rights, but quickly turned into an informal referendum on government harbour neglect. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads In Hout Bay harbour, the minister was greeted by the smell of raw sewage, sagging buildings and boats bobbing beside others that had already sunk. Entire sections of the quay wall were collapsing and critical infrastructure – from water and electricity supplies to slipways and lighting – was non-functional. Derelict warehouses like the Bluefin building stood abandoned, providing shelter for squatters and rodents rather than economic opportunity. Fishers and business owners accused the government of abdicating responsibility. Sean Walker, a prominent figure in the local fishing industry, delivered a blunt warning: 'We don't have much more time. This harbour is in a sorry state of repair. It's threatening not just businesses, but an entire working-class economy that's been holding on by its fingernails.' Long promises, little delivery Justin Strong, who heads the Hout Bay Harbour Tenants Association and runs the well-known seafood eatery Snoekies, echoed the sentiment. 'I've been attending meetings like this for 15 years,' he told the minister. 'We've had millions spent on feasibility studies and spatial frameworks. But nothing from those plans has been implemented. Not one thing.' Strong detailed how tenants were forced to install their own lighting, clean up rubbish at their own cost and attempt to secure areas where break-ins had become commonplace. 'We light up the parking lot with six spotlights because otherwise it's pitch-dark,' he said. 'There's no meaningful security. We've had three break-ins at Snoekies just this past month.' advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads As for the harbour's crumbling infrastructure, Strong pointed to a bureaucratic tug-of-war between the Department of Public Works and the Department of Fisheries, which has left maintenance efforts paralysed. 'Each says the other is responsible. Meanwhile, nothing gets fixed,' he said. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads George acknowledged this confusion. 'I wasn't even sure myself who manages the toilets,' he commented to the crowd. He pledged to raise the issue directly with the minister of public works and proposed the creation of a liaison forum to ensure future communication is direct and accountable. But many in attendance were sceptical. Kobus Poggenpoel, a generational fisher from Kalk Bay, voiced frustration over the cycle of promises. 'Maybe setting up yet another forum may work, maybe not,' he said. 'Every year politicians come and talk about transformation and integration, but nothing happens.' A first step – or more talk? Against this backdrop, the announcement of the wreck removal campaign will be cautiously welcomed by harbour users – as long as it's seen through. The presence of abandoned vessels has been a long-standing concern, not only because they take up valuable mooring space, but because they often leak oil, attract crime and create physical hazards for active fishers. 'This is one of the easiest wins,' said Walker. 'You don't need a five-year spatial framework to raise a sunken boat.' George's directive is specific: under Marine Information Notice MIN 08-25 issued by Samsa, owners of the identified wrecks must remove them by 16 June 2025. After that, the state will step in and remove them, recovering the costs from the owners as allowed under the Act. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'This initiative reflects Minister George's dedication to rolling back the ills of the past and restoring the integrity of South Africa's coastal infrastructure,' the department said. 'The removal of these wrecks will enhance the safety of harbours, protect marine biodiversity and support the livelihoods of communities that depend on these waters.' George added: 'By removing these wrecks, we are safeguarding our oceans for future generations and creating safer, more sustainable hubs for maritime activities.' Beyond boats For the Hout Bay fishing community, the derelict vessels are only one part of a much broader crisis. The most immediate needs are often depressingly basic: working toilets, running water, secure lighting and functioning pumps. 'We're being held back by things that are fixable,' Walker stressed during the imbizo. 'We can't control the sea. We can't control the weather. But we can fix a pump. We can fix a light. We can fix a jetty. And if we don't, we'll lose it all.' Many speakers called for better interdepartmental coordination. 'Bring Public Works and Fisheries together,' Walker urged. 'Two ministers, two key officials, in one room. No more feasibility studies, no more five-year frameworks. Just a concrete plan.' advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Regan James, a local activist, pointed out that the rot is not just physical but symbolic. 'This harbour is a reflection of how our community is treated. It's not just about fishing – it's about dignity. It's about survival.' He also raised concerns about small-scale fishing allocations, suggesting that quotas are often poorly matched to the realities on the ground. 'You can't catch a sardine on a handline,' he quipped. 'You gave us a basket we can't even catch.' George's response to these grievances was measured, if at times constrained. He spoke of the international respect afforded to South Africa's fisheries scientists, but also acknowledged the resource challenges his department faces. 'We've gone from 700 staff to fewer than 400,' he said. 'And I'm managing 261 ongoing court challenges related to fishing rights.' But he expressed a wish: 'I want to walk through this harbour in the future and see that it's been fixed. Otherwise I'll know I failed.' The wreck removal directive, while not a comprehensive fix, may prove to be the first visible sign of this wish. It's an important test. DM
