SAMSA CEO Scoops Two Top Awards

May 2012 - South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) CEO, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele has been named this year’s “Top Public Sector Executive.”

The announcement was made at the prestigious 2012 Oliver Empowerment Awards Ceremony, organized by Topco Media to honor and recognize excellence, good leadership and innovation in empowerment.

SAMSA, under the leadership of Commander Mokhele received the Top Public Service award.

Speaking after the awards Commander Mokhele said he was happy to see that the country was beginning to see the contribution the maritime sector was making towards the country’s economic growth.
“While there is still so much to be done to fully transform the sector, we are encouraged by the support and recognition we are receiving from the South African community. We at SAMSA will continue in our endeavor to build an inclusive maritime industry that will not only benefit the stakeholders but change lives and take South Africa to the next level. We are humbled by the recognition,” he said.
In recent years SAMSA has taken the lead on initiatives that has been aimed at creating awareness around the maritime sector and bagged several accolades which included:

 • Receiving the Maritime Newsmaker of the Year Award in 2010 for its role in promoting the industry
 • Launching the SAMSA Seafarer of the Year Awards
 • Highlighting the participation of women in the industry through the Sisters of the Sea programme
 • Launching of the Cadet project  which was initiated as a means to address the existing skills gap in    the maritime sector  by creating platforms  for  all South Africans to participate in the maritime sector  and
 • The acquisition of the navigation satellite systems which monitor and track vessels at sea.

Last year Commander Tsietsi Mokhele was named the Black Business Quarterly Businessman for his business acumen.

In June the organization will host the inaugural 2012 South African Maritime Industry Conference (SAMIC) in Cape Town under the theme “Delivering on South Africa’s Maritime Agenda – A Call for Action.”

The conference seeks to create a platform for industry stakeholders from various clusters to engage on critical issues within the maritime sector and work towards finding solutions.

About SAMSA:
The South African Maritime Safety Authority, accountable to the Minister of Transport was established on 1 April 1998 in terms of the South African Maritime Safety Authority Act 5 of 1998.

SAMSA is governed by a Board made up of the CEO and six non-executive members, including the Chair and Deputy Chair, as appointed by the Minister.

The organization’s objective is to lead and champion South Africa’s maritime interests as custodians and stewards of maritime policy, vigorous promoters of the maritime sector and giving full and complete effect to their obligations for the benefit of all stakeholders.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES CONTACT:
Tebogo Ramatjie
SAMSA Media Relations
Cell: 082 646 6044
E-mail: tramatjie@samsa.org.za