Date: 28/10/2009
Source: The Department of Transport
Title: SA: Cronin: Address by the Deputy Minister of Transport, at the opening of the Regional Search and Rescue exercise, Durban

PROGRAMME DIRECTORKWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT MR WILLIES MCHUNU
EXECUTVE MAYOR SISONKE DISTRICT PATRICK KHOZA
MAYOR OF KWA-SANI MDUDUZI BANDA
MEMBERS OF MAYORAL COMMITTEES PRESENT HERE
HODS AND CEOS OF STATE AGENCIES REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 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, 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 organizations.

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 Organization 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)
Organization has been in existence since 1957. It was formalized through
the enactment of the South African Maritime and Aeronautical Search and
Rescue Act, 2002. The act gave the organization a statutory mandate to
co-ordinate 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 covers South Africa, Namibia,
Swaziland, Lesotho and associated flight information regions. The
Maritime Search and Rescue Region stretches 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 Co-ordination Centre (ARCC) and the Maritime
Rescue Co-ordination 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 co-operation
between States.

According to this provision states shall individually or in
co-operation 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 co-operation 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 co-ordinated the signing of the Multi-lateral
agreement on the co-ordination of maritime search and rescue services by
5 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 5 people on
board. In May 2007 the yacht was seriously damaged and totally demasted
and crew incapacitated in a remote area some 300nautical miles North
East of Marion Island.

Thanks to excellent communications and coordination 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