Ingqiya Village, Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal
Programme Director KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport Mr Willies Mchunu
Executive Mayor Sisonke District Patrick Khoza
Mayor of Kwa-Sani Mduduzi Banda
Members of Mayoral Committees present here
Head of Departments and Chief Executive Officer (CEOs) of State Agencies Representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
The 2010 FIFA World Cup
When the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in 2010 kicks off in June next year it will kick-start the world's biggest football feast.
We estimate that about 400 000 fans will descend on our shores for the soccer spectacular. Billions will watch the thrilling football from around the world. Yet many others will come merely to see the continent that hosts the soccer world cup.
An international event of this magnitude, so far away from the traditional soccer markets, forces people to arrive mainly through our airports. Some will come from neighbouring countries by road, yet others will use maritime transport. By road, maritime and air, from all corners of the world; all ‘roads’ lead to South Africa in 2010.
Today we ask: Are we ready as a county to deal with a search and rescue operation that might occur during this period? Are we ready to deal with any aeronautical or maritime search and rescue operation? As good hosts are we ready to rise to the occasion?
Focus of the exercise
The focus of the field exercise today and tomorrow will be on the aeronautical component of search and rescue. The maritime component on the other hands will run a table top/command post and communication exercise in parallel. A number of search and rescue units will be exercised or tested and their roles during a search and rescue mission clarified.
This exercise will include emergency medical services, South African Police Services (SAPS), South African Air Force and Disaster Management. The exercise also includes Cross-border units and the Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) as hosts of the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) and other voluntary organisations.
We have also planned activities which create awareness, educate and uplift the community’s search and rescue knowledge. Through this exercise we also want to raise the profile of the South African Search and Rescue Organisation and to plough back to the community.
International search and rescue guidelines
This regional event complies with international and national search and rescue protocols while answering the above question about our readiness. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) provides guidelines for a common aviation and maritime approach to search and rescue services.
The guidelines seek to assist member states in meeting their own search and rescue needs. But they also assist in meeting national obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue and the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea.
The Southern African community is an active member of this international aviation and maritime community. As a matter of interest the declaration and treaty establishing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was signed at the summit of Heads of State on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia. Regional protocol establishes Transport, Communications and Meteorology systems which provide efficient, cost-effective and fully integrated infrastructure and operations in the region.
The Chicago Convention, which set up the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as the so-called government of the air space, obliges members to provide any aircraft in distress and its occupants the requisite assistance.
The convention also says contracting states shall provide for regular training of their search and rescue personnel, and arrange appropriate search and rescue exercises.
South African Search and Rescue Capability
Programme director, the Southern African Search and Rescue (SASAR) Organisation has been in existence since 1957. It was formalised through the enactment of the South African Maritime and Aeronautical Search and Rescue Act, 2002. The act gave the organisation a statutory mandate to coordinate all SAR activities with South Africa's area of responsibility or Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
South Africa is responsible for a huge search and rescue area. Our search and rescue region represents approximately 10% of the globe and is about 28.5 million square kilometres in total. To manage this vast area, the South African area is divided into two Search and Rescue Regions (SRR) namely, the aeronautical and maritime Search and Rescue Regions.
The Aeronautical Search and Rescue Region cover South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and associated flight information regions. The Maritime Search and Rescue Region stretch approximately halfway between South Africa and South America on the Western side, approximately halfway between South Africa and Australia on the eastern side.
It also borders on Namibia, Angola, South Africa and Mozambique on the Northern side and then extends to the South Pole. In order for SASAR to execute its mandate successfully relevant operational structures and sub-structures were established.
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) are the primary structures responsible for the execution of SASAR's statutory mandate. The ARCC and the MRCC are based at the Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) and South African Maritime Services of South Africa (SAMSA).
Regional search and rescue initiatives
Ladies and gentlemen, search and rescue only works when several countries and all stakeholders collaborate across borders. In search and rescue anyone in distress and danger is my friend in need. This culture of collaboration dates back to 1959 when the Convention on International Civil Aviation first made provision for cooperation between States.
According to this provision states shall individually or in cooperation with other states, arrange for the establishment and prompt provision of search and rescue services within their territories to ensure that assistance is rendered to persons in distress.
Regional cooperation also makes use of scarce resources and helps nations avoid duplication of efforts and facilities. Through this collaboration services are provided for poor states in a uniform manner across a wide area. Collaboration also reduces the overall cost of search and rescue operations. This is the only way to provide a world-wide SAR system.
In 2007 South Africa coordinated the signing of the Multi-lateral agreement on the coordination of maritime search and rescue services by five countries. The Cape Town office of MRCC was also commissioned as the regional MRCC immediately after the signing of the multilateral agreement.
As SADC we have approached ICAO and the IMO to consider funding the training requirements identified for the region. Together with the Department of Environment Affairs we are planning to create SAR capacity at the Antarctic region.
Readiness for search and rescue
The MRCC handles an annual average of about 857 search and rescue activities. The ARCC handles an average of 51 search and rescue activities per annum. Over the past two years South Africa saved 288 lives from 502 incidents. This is success in any body's terms.
There are two critical factors to a successful search and rescue operation. The first is effective and accurate coordination, the second is the swift reaction and dedication of all various role players of all stakeholders.
A recent example of this coordinated effort was the Cowrie Dancer incident involving an Australian registered yacht with five people on board. In May 2007 the yacht was seriously damaged and totally demisted and crew incapacitated in a remote area some 300 nautical miles North East of Marion Island.
Thanks to excellent communications and co-ordination by the MRCC and assistance from the SA Agulhas, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism the survivors were all saved from certain death. On the airside the ARCC was activated 109 times during the past year and saved 306 persons.
Are we ready?
South Africa participated in drafting the authoritative international training manual that provides specific technical instructions for search and rescue around the world:
* South Africa conducts periodic exercises to maintain high level readiness
* South Africa has agreements with other countries which provide for the conduct of periodic joint exercises
* South is ready to respond professionally and effectively in the event of an accident or incident.
In this regard we have conducted the following exercises to ensure we are ready:
* Exercise Oxide with the SA Navy and French Naval vessels in 2004 and last year
* Three internal MRCC exercises in 2005, 2006 and 2008
* Inter MRCC table top exercise with the Argentine MRCC in 2009
* An aeronautical SAR exercise in the Tzaneen area in 2007.
However readiness is about cutting down the time it takes to respond to a search and rescue situation. Readiness is responding with a high degree of proficiency and professionalism. So far we can say we have that technical capacity and experience. But we must constantly improve, sharpen our readiness even more.
Community involvement
Section of the SASAR Act makes it an offence not to report an aircraft or vessel accident/incident. We have made the community aware of the relevant reporting procedures. We must empower the community with knowledge and skills to venture into the aviation and maritime fields.
During this exercise local learners built the model aircraft under the guidance of the South African Model Aircraft Building Association. The learners can now build models from scratch and can take home the finished product. A school for the disabled built the aircraft wreck for the field exercise. The service providers for were all local businesses.
Conclusion
We would like to pay all the people who played a role in initiating, planning, participating and funding of this exercise:
* The SASAR Executive and its Secretariat
* The Chair and members of the SAREX 09 Steering Committee
* The Exercise Director and Exercise Preparation Team
* The Chair and members of the Opening Session Preparation Team
* Government and Mayor Banda for his role in this exercise
* The local Amakhosi and Indunas
* All the participating neighbouring countries
* The evaluators and the South African Model Aircraft Builders Association
* The principal, teachers and learners of Dinoto School for the Disabled for building the wreck at a nominal price.
Thank you all.
Issued by: Department of Transport
28 October 2009
