Evaluating a need for a collaborative national maritime security strategy in South Africa

Abstract

The world’s sea transport is regulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Through its regulatory framework, the IMO “prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/port facility personnel to deter security threats and take preventative measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade” (IMO, 2016) as set out by its member states. While the IMO prescribes responsibilities, as contained in the regulatory framework, on preventative measures against security threats, it does not provide guidelines on how these preventive measures are supposed to be done. As a result, the responsibility on determining what preventative measures are to be undertaken remains with each member of the shipping community state to decide on the solution. Like many IMO members, South Africa does not have a national maritime security strategy. Accordingly, a need for South Africa to develop its own national maritime security strategy over and above the regional maritime security strategy has been identified. Part of the argument for developing a national maritime security strategy is informed by the need to close the gap left by the absence of such a strategy in the national security framework of the country. Currently, South Africa’s maritime security environment is fragmented with a number of stakeholders’ such as the Department of Transport (DOT), Department of Home Affairs (DHA), South African Revenue Service (SARS), South African Police Service (SAPS), State Security Agency (SSA), South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Transnet Ports Terminal (TPT), Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and Department of Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) constitutionally mandated with different maritime security mandates within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). There is, however, a consensus amongst all these stakeholders that some of the challenges existing within the South African maritime environment require a national maritime security strategy. Without a national maritime security strategy, views on South Africa’s state of readiness to address maritime security challenges are split. Accordingly, a clear constitutional mandate appointing a lead department is necessary. In addition to concluding that South Africa needs to develop a codified national security policy, this study further found that such a codified national security policy should aim at specifically addressing fragmentation in all national security areas and that such a codified national security policy must constitute specific modules reflective of each area of national security with clear directions on who takes the overall responsibility when it comes to control and command. In order to attain a comprehensive view, the research recommended further research on the pre-drafting process of the strategy and its implementation.