The contract with Smit Amandla Marine Services and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) expired on Saturday (31 March 2012). Consequently, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Pettersson and the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the South African Navy to manage the DAFF's maritime patrol fleet, with effect from April 1.
The fleet includes the fisheries research vessels Africana, Algoa and Ellen Khuzwayo and the patrol vessels Sarah Baartman, Lilian Ngoyi, Victoria Mxenge and Ruth First.
The shipping management functions agreed to in the MoU include the crewing of the vessels, the technical management of these vessels (maintenance, repair and life cycle management); provisioning; bunkering; operation; accounting and safety and seaworthiness of the ships.
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