SOUTH AFRICA: Announcing their record of decision on Friday, the Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA)highlighted several pressing concerns within the port system including irregular expenditure, poor performance levels, the slow progress of corporatisation and the lack of a strategy for ship repair.

EGYPT: The arrival of the Zhenhua 35 vessel at the Port of Said has marked the delivery of port equipment aimed at enhancing operational capabilities and includes the offloading of four Super Post-Panamax ZPMC Quay Cranes as well as Electric Rubber-Tyred Gantry ZPMC Cranes.

SOUTH AFRICA: The South African Safety Authority (SAMSA) has not revealed any details surrounding the precautionary suspension of their Chief Operations Officer, Sobantu Tilyai, as they confirmed that an internal investigation would be launched.

SOUTH AFRICA: As work resumes to remove the wreck of the FV Elke M that ran aground near St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape at the beginning of the year, sources confirm that the Shanghai Salvage Company will be mobilising during December to begin work on removing the wreck of the Ultra Galaxy in an operation that is likely to continue until March next year.

LIBERIA: Following the recent audit of Liberia’s flag state regime conducted in the United States, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has commenced the second phase of its mandatory Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) in Liberia.

GHANA: As part of the Tema Port Expansion Project, Meridian Port Services Ltd (MPS) developed a comprehensive Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) to protect sea turtles in Prampram, New Ningo, and Old Ningo.

SOUTH AFRICA: Hosting international participants to the Fish Platform Meeting at their premises last week, Sea Safety Training Group unveiled plans to roll out a Safety Management System (SMS) free of charge to the fishing sector.

Naval and air assets from a range of nations and organisations including Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, the Republic of Korean Navy, Pakistan Navy, Seychelles Navy, Djibouti Coast Guard and Yemen Coast Guard participated in an operation around the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa at the end of last month.