Ray Smuts
INEFFECTIVE SECURITY in the Port of Cape Town has been blamed for the increasing number of stowaways flaunting all kinds of laws in desperation to get in - or out - of the country.
In conversation with FTW after four Democratic Republic of Congo stowaways were set adrift from a ship off Cape Town recently, allegedly without food or water, Association of Ships' Agents and Brokers Cape Town chairman Ron Caris commented: It is obviously a major probem to our 30-odd members and I am not sure how we are going to adddress it, but we will certainly be meeting with the various security authorities.
As to casting stowaways adrift, Caris said this was illegal and that a captain and his crew could be prosecuted and even jailed.
What is more, if a vessel arrives in a South African port with stowaways on board the shipping company has to put up a hefty deposit, R10 000 or more, to cover what may have to include eventual repatriation costs.
In Cape Town itself, more than 50 stowaways have been apprehended over the past 30 months but, say those in the know, there must be many more who got in or out without detection.
Freight Marine Shipping operations manager Gary Eagar, representing the passenger vessel St Helena, told me: Our port security is at the heart of the problem. Hordes of of people simply pass through security points unchecked.
Last year a 16 year-old Rwandan youth climbed up the mooring ropes of the St Helena while she was in Cape Town and hid inside the funnel before being detected. He was taken to the island and eventually transported to Britain where he has now settled.
Caris told me of an incident last November when he ordered a search of the Houston-registered rig RBF 185 shortly before sailing, only to find two Tanzanian stowaways hiding aboard, intent on making a new life in the United States.
The four latest stowaways cast adrift in a liferaft from the Panamanian-registered vessel Krissa were found by a passing yacht about 10km off Cape Point. They have been granted refugee status which will enable them to remain in South Africa for three years.
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