Parliament, Tuesday, 14 November – The Select Committee on Economic and Business Development didn’t allow the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) officials to present Samsa’s annual report to the Committee due to, among other things, that the officials had the presentation, not the actual annual report, and there was no senior Samsa Board member.

The Committee noted the apology received from Samsa Board Chairperson, Mr Mavuso Msimang, who is part of a court-appointed panel of experts currently dealing with the challenges faced by the South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa). The Committee heard that the 12-month term of the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as regulated by Samsa policies, ended in May 2017 and that there have been several challenges in recruiting a new CEO. Further to this, the terms of two Board members have also ended and these positions are yet to be filled.

The Committee Chairperson, Mr Mandla Rayi, enquired about the entity’s annual report document, as the Committee received only a copy of the presentation and not the actual report. Officials said that Samsa’s annual report is yet to be tabled in the National Assembly and that the delay is due to a number of internal problems Samsa faces.

The Committee resolved to consult with both the Minister and the Portfolio Committee on Transport about the ongoing challenges Samsa faces. The meeting will be rescheduled to accommodate the Minister and Samsa’s Board Chairperson.

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MR MANDLA RAYI

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