Holiday Inn, Johannesburg International, Saturday, 11 September 1999
Ceremonial greetings,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It was an unknown poet who said:
One ship sails east, the other west,
with the self-set sails that blow
It is the set of the sails, and not the gales
That determine the way you go.
I am privileged today, to be part of this historic occasion. It is just over five years now since our beautiful country overcame the tumultuous stormy seas of centuries of colonial rule and decades of apartheid. For a long time we have been out at sea in the country of our birth. The many opportunities that existed were denied to us and reserved for a privileged minority. The horrid policies of the past meant that our country could never reach its full potential as the vast majority of South Africans were denied the opportunity to develop their skills and talents.
Our ship has since come in. The dawn of democracy in 1994 expanded our horizons. What once was impossible and just a dream, is now within our reach. Democracy under our ANC-led government, brought new hope. It has taught us that regardless of the gales, storms and challenges that face us, if we as a nation are determined, we can build a new destiny. If we work together, we can build a new future. If we set our sails, we can reach new shores of achievement and excellence in every sphere of activity. These young men and women, will pilot in a new era in South Africa’s modern maritime history. They will reclaim the proud legacy of our people that dwelled the shores of Cape Town long before the colonialists arrived. They will reclaim the tradition of those who piloted their simple vessels from the foot of the ‘Great Sea Mountain’ to the shores of Robben Island and back to what is now known as Table Bay. Like your forbears, you too have to face upto the challenges of the open and wide ocean. The unpredictable that lies beyond every unkown horizon. Like them, you too realise that unless you set out to achieve your goals and strive for your dreams, you will always be limited in fulfilling your potential.
Ladies and gentlemen, our government over the past five years, has laid a solid foundation for rebuilding our country. From the outset, we realised that our greatest asset is not the gold and other minerals that lie buried deep in the bowels of our land. It is not the large variety of resources that fill our dams, rivers and oceans. It is not the myriad of species of flora and fauna that our country is host to. Our greatest wealth and asset is our people.
The tremendous skills and talents that lie dormant in us, await the opportunity to blossom. It is for that reason that one of the fundamental principles of our Reconstruction and Development Programme(RDP) is capacity building and developing our human resources.
It is for this reason, ladies and gentlemen, that across every sphere of government, we have prioritised training and human resource development. We realise that this is the only way that we will be able to reconstruct the economic and social demography of our country. If we want to develop more technicians, more skilled professionals, more entrepreneurs and more leaders in every field, we will have to direct substantial resources towards creating opportunities for those who have been historically disadvantaged. We also realised that this was the only way that we could attain a competitive edge in the heavy seas of the global economy. The Asian tigers of the far-east, could develop fairly rapidly precisely because of their investment in human capital to manage leading edge technology.
The launch today, of the Portnet Marine Pilots and Port Captains Training Scheme, builds on the solid foundations for human resource development laid over the past five years in Public Enterprises. You may be aware of the Human Resource Audit Unit(HRAU) established by my predecessor Minister Stella Sigcau. Premised on the fact that the State Owned Enterprises(SOEs) that resort directly under us, provide employment for over 250,000 people, this initiative sought to:
We have come a long way since then. In September last year, the Employment Equity Act, Act 55 of 1998 was promulgated and is laying the foundation for an accelerated and concerted programme of developing representivity and capacity in our labour market. I believe this launch today contributes meaningfully in taking forward our vision of a dynamic and representative work force. This example is being emulated in many other initiatives in the private and public sectors.
Allow me also, as Minister of Public Enterprises to state how proud I am of being associated with the many positive and ground-breaking initiatives that Portnet is undertaking. Shortly after taking office, I was privileged to unveil state of the art X-Ray technology that is revolutionising the management of Cargo heading in and out of our harbours. The introduction of this technology, and the appropriate training of our port personnel is assisting greatly in managing the difficult process of tracking and detecting contraband. It is also assisting in the efficient and effective collection of appropriate revenue from the goods coming in and out of our ports. Despite its initial hiccups, I am told, that the Cosmos System will enable us to deal with the increased volume of vessels utilising the excellent facilities and infrastructure that our harbours offer. I am also impressed by what I hear of the improved and innovative service that the introduction of our marine helicopter is rendering. I must congratulate the Marine Pilots and Port Captain for rendering such excellent service in the Durban harbour.
To add to all of this, we are launching this programme here today and breaking yet more new ground. The men and women, that we will send off to Holland will undergo an accelerated marine training programme. You are the new pioneers of our modern maritime history. South Africa’s Port Captains are all white and the pilots are over 99% white and male. You are therefore contributing to the democratisation of the work-place and we regard you are as a wave of the future.
The demands of the fast growing international marine services is far outstripping the traditional system of training. Antiquated systems are being replaced with state-of-the-art technology and personnel must be equipped with the skills to cope with this fast changing environment. This programme is therefore essential if we are to keep pace with the changing nature of the global market. It is for this reason that the Rotterdam Scheme is particularly advantageous as it marks a departure from the traditional route.
I want to urge everyone of you that have been fortunate enough to be selected for this training scheme to apply yourselves diligently to the task that awaits you. Your colleagues and friends in Portnet, government and my Ministry in particular, and the country as a whole will be closely watching your progress and achievements.
The mission that you are embarking upon is by no means easy. Traditionallly, it would take people over 10 years to become marine pilots and about 20 years to qualify as Port Captains. The accelerated training programme that you will undergo , aims to reduce that substantially. We are confident in your abilities and have full trust that the valuable reputation that Portnet has built up, will further rise in stature. As ambassadors of your country, you have to raise high the flag of South Africa’s standards of service excellence to our clients and our commitment to safety of navigation, the environment and the port community.
We want to see you succeed and open up even greater opportunities for others that will follow in your footsteps. The wind is in your sails, it is your choice to sink or sail to greater success. I have every confidence however, that you will succeed because you want to succeed and South Africa needs you to succeed.
I must once again congratulate the Portnet management on this excellent initiative. I believe this is a real manifestation of our vision of unlocking opportunities through the restructuring and transformation of state assets that contribute meaningfully to the attainment of government’s socio-economic objectives. I believe that through greater co-ordination of the restructuring process across all state-owned entities(SOEs) we are going to unlock substantial resources to accelerate the delivery of services to all our people.
We will also ensure over the next five years that through better monitoring of parastatals and the programmes that they are pursuing, that these entities comply with government’s development priorities. Through working together can build a better life for all our people.
In conclusion, I want to re-iterate my confidence in these trainee port pilots and port captains. On behalf of government, and my Department of Public Enterprises in particular, I wish you bon voyage and every success in the endeavours that lie ahead. May the next four months of your life at the Rotterdam Transport and Shipping College be enriching and fulfilling.I am positive that it will be a life changing experience for you and that you will return to South Africa to serve Portnet and your country with pride.
I thank you.