SOUTH AFRICA: Following the release of the Preliminary Report into the sinking of the Lepanto this week, Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has confirmed that a Marine Court of Enquiry will be convened in the first quarter of next year as recommended.

DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a contract for the delivery of seven new fishing vessels to operate on lakes and along the coast.

MOROCCO: APM Terminals is ramping up operations for 2025 by celebrating the last part of its two million TEU-expansion in MedPort Tangier, which went into operation this month. With this expansion, the terminal now has a total capacity of 5.2 million TEUs annually and two kilometres of berth length. This has been part of a three-year project that was delivered on schedule.

MOROCCO: Morocco's port management company Marsa Maroc has signed a €65 million financing agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to fund projects aimed at expanding capacity and optimising operations at its multipurpose terminals in the ports of Casablanca and Jorf Lasfar.

MAURITIUS: Some 100 fishers received certificates this week after completing the General Course for Fishers at the Mauritius Maritime Training Academy, in Pointe-aux-Sables.

Unathi Sonti, Executive Chairperson of the Maritime Business Chamber returned from the  7^th Conference of the Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA) that was held in Tanzania at the end of November with an update on some of the resolutions taken by the maritime authorities across the continent.

KENYA: Speaking at the country’s Navy’s 60^th anniversary, Kenya’s President William Ruto committed to increasing support for the force through investment in advanced technologies and modernisation of the fleet.

SOUTH AFRICA: The 100.7m tanker, Uhambo, was officially welcomed as African Marine Solutions’ (AMSOL) 14^th vessel to join the South African ships registry this week at a ceremony held in the Port of Durban on Monday.