The Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Your Excellency Dr Zweli Mkhize,
eThekwini Mayor Councillor, the Honourable James Nxumalo,
The South African President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, Fiona Calitz,
The South African Vice President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, Fikiswa Pupuma,
MECs present today,
National Chairperson of the Transport Portfolio Committee, Honourable Ruth Bengu,
The First Lady of our province,
The Transport MEC of KwaZulu Natal, Honourable Willies Mchunu,
Honourable Doctor Sibongiseni Dhlomo,
Councillor Nomvuzo Shabalala,
The African Convenor of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association, Ms Thato Tsautse,
Executives and Representatives of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association,
All government officials,
Distinguished guests.
It is an honour and a privilege to address this gathering of women in the international shipping industry as our annual Women’s Month is drawing to a close. But may I remind the Premier, that since this is our Decade, nothing draws to a close.
The women assembled in Durban tonight must also be celebrated for, as they say, staying the course in your commitment to have a career in this industry, which has for centuries been dominated by men.
Despite the historical records on the shipping industry profiling only the role of men, Nancy Karigithu, in a paper written for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa entitled, “Women’s Participation in Ports and Corridors,” writes:
“Women are still part of this rich history. That history dates to centuries back when women determined to work aboard ships could conceal their identity just to get the job, but their careers often reached a dead end once they were discovered by captains and fired.”
Your steadfastness to be involved in this industry must therefore be commended and should also serve as an example to young women out there and communicate the message that, “It can be done!” And it will be done!
Distinguished guests,
It is now commonly accepted that we live in an increasingly globalised, interconnected and almost borderless world. Today national boundaries offer little impediment to multi-national corporations and communication networks span time zones, continents, straddle language and religious divides. In the 21st century, industries such as computer software, media and fashion have no obvious geographical dimension and recognise no physical boundaries.
However, international trade among all the nations and regions of the world is nothing new. From the Phoenicians, through the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Carthaginians, the Chinese, the Vikings, the Omanis, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Italians, the British, the French, the Dutch, the Polynesians and Celts, the history of the world is a history of exploration, conquest and trade by sea.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee has spoken about the darker side of this industry. We will now focus on the brighter side of this industry.
However, as the world has become more developed, proximity to raw materials and to markets have shaped the world‘s economy and influenced the major trade patterns and shipping routes.
In this regard, shipping has always provided the only really cost-effective method of bulk transport over great distances. The development of shipping and the establishment of a global system of trade have moved forward together, hand-in-hand.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Global trade through sea networks has enabled an enormous variety of resources to be widely accessible and distributed. It has also fostered an interdependency and inter-connectivity between peoples who would otherwise be completely unconnected.
The potential benefits of global seafaring are clear: growth can be accelerated, jobs can be created and prosperity more widespread; skills and technology can be more evenly dispersed, and both individuals and countries can take advantage of previously unimagined economic opportunities.
World seaborne trade figures i.e. the amount of goods actually loaded aboard ships have increased considerably since the 70‘s and in 2008, reached 8.2 billion tons of goods loaded. Despite the recent global financial crisis, seaborne trade bounced back in 2010 and grew by an estimated 7% taking the total of goods loaded to 8.4 billion tons. It is now estimated that currently more than 90% of global trade is transported by sea.
Distinguished guests,
It is significant that developing countries continue to account for the largest share of global seaborne trade (60% of all goods loaded and 56% of all goods unloaded), reflecting their increasingly leading role in driving global trade. The developed economies share of global goods loaded and unloaded, amounted only to 34% and 43% respectively.
Research shows that the single most significant type of cargo worldwide is crude oil, which accounts for roughly a quarter of all goods transported by sea. Africa is increasingly gaining prominence in this industry, both as a supplier and as a consumer of crude oil.
Developing countries are also expanding their participation in a range of different maritime businesses. They already hold strong positions in ship scrapping, ship registration and the supply of seafarers. They also have growing market shares in more capital-intensive or technologically advanced maritime sectors such as ship construction. China and the Republic of Korea between them built 72.4% of world ship capacity in 2010, and 9 of the 20 largest countries in ship owning in January 2011 are developing countries. It is unfortunate that Africans are neither in ship building or ship owning. I have heard tonight that you are taking up this challenge. I wish you well.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have been asked to reflect upon the role of the African Union in integrating women into the international maritime industry.
Before I continue, I would like to share an observation I found very interesting in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Review of Maritime Transport:
“The possibility for newcomers to enter the market of a specific maritime business depends on numerous geographical, political, historical and economic factors.”
When we consider these factors, we need to seriously reflect on why Africa, and not just its women, is not part of the global shipping industry.
Geographically, the continent is after all surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Also 50% of world trade between east and west comes through our coastline.
In reflecting on the diversity of our continent and its rich maritime resources, we recall the words of independent Ghana’s first democratically elected President Kwame Nkrumah, in a speech entitled “I Speak of Freedom,” who said:
“Although most Africans are poor, our continent is potentially extremely rich. Our mineral resources, which are being exploited with foreign capital only to enrich foreign investors, range from gold and diamonds to uranium and petroleum. Our forests contain some of the finest woods to be grown anywhere. Our cash crops include cocoa, coffee, rubber, tobacco and cotton. As for power, which is an important factor in any economic development, Africa contains over 40% of the potential water power of the world, as compared with about 10% in Europe and 13% in North America. Yet so far, less than 1% has been developed. This is one of the reasons why we have in Africa the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty, and scarcity in the midst of abundance.”
If this finest son of our soil was alive today, these words will still be true. Hopefully they will no longer be true in 30 years. This is the vow and covenant we should make so that Africa will no longer be a paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty and scarcity in the midst of abundance.
Indeed, the African continent also possesses a generous endowment in natural resources, namely hydrocarbons, minerals and timber. Our natural resources also include: diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, but also woods and tropical fruits. In fact, Africa as a whole contains 30% of global mineral reserves.
These goods are however unfortunately not transported on liners owned by us as Africans. I hope that you sitting here in this audience will help to change this situation.
This was recognised by our Heads of State and Government who have demonstrated their political will to develop our maritime industry for our developmental agenda by adopting the African Maritime Transport Charter at their Summit in Kampala, Uganda in July 2010. In this regard, Heads of State and Government recognised:
“The role of maritime transport in the facilitation and development of trade between Africa and other parts of the world and the need to implement an effective maritime transport policy with a view to promoting intra-African trade and trade between African States and other continents,” as well as the “importance and the role of efficient transport infrastructure and services in the political, economic and social integration of Africa.”
They further acknowledged that in order to “develop African merchant fleets” to “ensure the development of maritime transport in Africa,” investments “especially in terms of infrastructure and equipment” were required. They however recognised that “that these investments should in the first place be provided by the Member States of the Union, including the Maritime industry itself.”
I hope that the provisions of this Charter can be matched by action from member states. African leaders also recognised the need for cooperation both, within the continent, and beyond as well as the value of training if the maritime industry was to be developed in Africa.
This is a challenge for us all.
Distinguished guests,
As African citizens we must begin to drive our own agenda for our development. It is widely acknowledged that if Africa is to become politically, economically and socially integrated, we must, amongst others, have infrastructure that connects us as well as use our generous resources for the development of our people. Our citizens and future generations deserve no less.
The shipping industry literally makes the world go round, considering that the earth is surrounded by the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic Oceans consisting of 71% of the earth’s surface area. In this regard, Earth's global ocean is the largest confirmed surface ocean on all observable planets.
Indeed, our oceans should be seen, as the Chief of the Navy in India, Admiral Nirmal Verma said earlier this year, “not as expanses of water that divide continents, but maritime highways that link nations.”
This of course is done through shipping.
However, although women consist of at least 50% of the world’s population of approximately seven billion people, only 2% globally are estimated to be involved in the international shipping industry. It is a challenge for all continents, not just Africa to increase the level of participation of women in this industry.
It is therefore admirable that the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association has made such strides in involving women in the industry in the 37 years of its existence.
We must as member states begin to implement the provisions of the African Maritime Transport Charter which includes the development and financing of the continental maritime industry. It also includes the training and development of our citizens, including women, to be part of this industry in its totality.
More particularly however, in this African Decade of Women (2010-2020), African women must begin to determine and drive our own developmental agenda and advancement. We must define what we would like to achieve and how the African Union can assist you so we can achieve our collective agenda. I would like to commit the African Union Commission to being your partner in your endevours. We therefore look forward to a report on the outcomes of your deliberations over the last two days and future discussions on how you can be supported. Let us drive this agenda together.
The Decade of Women must certainly end with quantifiable, demonstrable improvements. This will only be possible if we take charge of this programme of action.
Distinguished guests,
The global economy could not function if it were not for ships and the shipping industry. Without this industry, intercontinental trade, the bulk transport of raw materials and the import and export of affordable food and manufactured goods would simply not be possible. Shipping is perhaps the most international of all the world's great industries.
Today, international trade has evolved to the point where almost no nation can be fully self-sufficient. Every country is involved, at one level or another, in the process of selling what it produces and acquiring what it lacks: none can be dependent only on its domestic resources.
However, like with nations whose full potential will never be realised unless all 100% of its citizens are actively participating, so to is the shipping industry. Despite its enormous and undoubted impact on the world, and global trade, is it as effective as it can be with the participation of only 2% of women who form 50% of the world’s population?
I urge and encourage you to actively encourage the involvement of other women, especially young women, in this industry. Let us together engage the member states of the African Union to implement the African Maritime Transport Charter.
I wish you well in your endevours. Indeed, we should aim for the stars. Let our dreams be our compass!
I thank you!
