South Africa’s Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, during his stay in Colombia for this year’s World Maritime Day Parallel Event 2019, highlighted the high potential for job creation in the country’s maritime sector.
According to the IMO, the World Maritime Day Parallel Event is hosted in a different country each year, in order to provide ‘a platform that brings together important actors and stakeholders in the maritime community to discuss matters of mutual concern.’
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In South Africa, part of the reason for the country’s delegation’s attendance of the IMO event is because next year, South Africa will for the first time be the host of the conference.
In the meantime, according to Mr. Mbalula’s office, the Minister met with Colombia’s Ambassador to South Africa, Carlos Andres Barahona Nino as part preparation of his visit to the south American country in a few day’s time.
During the meeting with Mr. Nino, Mr. Mbalula pinpointed ‘the endless possibilities for job creation in the country’s maritime sector.’ He specifically said that:
As a country we can not ignore the plethora of prospects in maritime. We must strive to transform this industry and unlock the economic opportunities which lie dormant in the sector. Working with the over 170 IMO Member States, our goals will be attained
In addition, Mr. Mbalula led a delegation to the IMO where South Africa deposited an instrument of accession to the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Protocol of 2010, and during the visit the Minister also enabled the signing of the Multilateral Search and Rescue Agreement by Angola.
Finally, senior officials of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) will discuss, and upon agreement will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the Mutual Recognition of Seafarers with their Columbian counterparts.
