A short while ago I met with a small contingent including the Large Pelagic SME Association (LPSMEA) who represents a fair amount of harbor users, with the Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Advisory Committee regarding the state of our harbors, or lack thereof. In one of my previous post titled: MK Veterans - Wasting Solution, you can see the state of disrepair whilst it is better documented on the Trawler Heritage website. A brief discussion was had during which the LPSMEA and myself gave adequate explanations providing an absolute understanding of the frustrating situation of the complete lack of control, malicious damage to public property, theft and other crimes, etc to all whom where present. It seems that we were heard and now the Democratic Alliance is well into the process of appealing to the court to have small harbors removed from the portfolio of the Public Works Department. The DA is arguing and motivating that local government should run the harbors instead of Public Works who are based all the way in Pretoria. The local government will in-turn hand the responsibility over to the respective local municipalities. As we speak, Premier Helen Zille and Mayor Patricia De Lille have both stated that the local by-laws and governing policies are being drafted up outlining the governance and should be completed within 6 months time.
The DA's move to have the local harbors included in their local municipalities falls directly within the ANC's and President Zuma's policy Operation Phakisa - Oceans Economy from where the budget has already been approved. The billions of Rands that have been set aside for the small harbors development authority who are to oversea the rehabilitation and upgrading of our harbor infrastructures will fund this. The quantified value of our Exclusive Economic Zone (the EEZ spans some 200 nautical miles parallel to our coastline) and oceans which indicated that oceans around South Africa were estimated to have potential to contribute R54 billion to GDP and an estimated 316 thousand jobs. Further analysis undertaken in 2013, found that nine sectors of South Africa’s ocean economy could generate an estimated GDP contribution of 129 to 177 billion rand by 2033 and double the number of jobs estimated in 2010. This is the motivation and the underling reasoning why the ANC has implemented the results driven approach of Operation Phakisa (Phakisa means "Hurry Up" in Sesotho) which involves setting clear plans and targets, on-going monitoring of progress and making these results public.
There has also been a call to privatize the small harbors to become self sustaining and managed. I think the first logical step would be exactly what the DA proposes, then look to privatization. But with privatization comes exclusion and thought must be spared for the historic harbor uses, etc...
As a fellow harbor user I am reliant upon these harbors for my livelihood. Whilst most can agree that we may have some of the most picturesque harbors, below the surface of the Public Work's bandages, much dark festering lurks. I welcome the proposed changed the DA are in the process of fighting for and can't help but wonder what the future will hold.
Below are some photos of the stripped tractor that was used to collect up all the kelp that washed ashore on Hout Bay beach...I saw it again this morning and there is literally barely even the chassis left:
