Dear valued stakeholder,
It gives me great pleasure to, once more, report on the activities of the EThekwini Maritime Cluster for the month of June 2022. In this report I will take the opportunity to highlight some of the youth related activities, in the light of the fact that June is the month that South Africa Commemorates youth month. However, throughout the year EMC programmes are always implemented with the aim to advance the mandate of youth development and empowerment.
In line with the abovementioned mandate EMC hosted the International Cultural Exchange Programme. The programme entailed EMC hosting 17 cadets for three weeks until 8 July 2022. The cadets were afforded the opportunity to engage and exchange cultural knowledge, by participating in various cultural activities across the province. The objective of the programme is to enhance cultural relationships between the people of South Africa and the United States of America.
As part of our #YouthInMaritime social media campaign we profiled young people who have established themselves in the industry, and those that are working their way in and up. This campaign was aimed at exposing and inspiring the youth through sharing the journey and success stories of young people who have chosen a career path in the maritime industry.
Over and above social media interaction with the youth, we also engaged the youth through a number of events that were planned during the month of June. On the 24th of June as part of the global celebration of seafarers called the International Day of the Seafarer, EMC, in collaboration with Transnet Port Terminals, hosted 40 young people from various high schools and some from tertiary institutions in a career day and port tour event. The event was held at the Durban port, the aim of the event was to showcase opportunities within the maritime industry to young people and allow them to engage with industry professionals. Various opportunities in the form of post school study, bursaries, internships and learnerships were presented to the learners. The programme ended with an insightful educational tour of the Port of Durban.
Again on the 27th of June, as part of our mandate to support events that advance and promote the maritime industry, EMC was part of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) hosted event to celebrate the International Day of the Seafarer. During this event EMC had representatives from its board of directors, as the managing director I was present, along with various EMC officials who manned the exhibition stand of EMC and provided learners with information on maritime careers.
Indeed June was quiet an eventful month, I would like to assure the youth and their parents and/or legal guardians alike that our doors are always open should they need any guidance concerning maritime careers and opportunities.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our stakeholders that attended the 12th Annual General Meeting of the EMC at the end of May 2022. It is indeed with great pride that EMC received yet another unqualified audit report. This speaks volumes of our implementation of the principles of good corporate governance, and for that I am grateful to the EMC Board of Directors for their ethical leadership and to the staff who ensure that all processes are implemented within the realm of ethical conduct.
Mrs Zenzile Gwamanda, MD, EThekwini Maritime Cluster