Liesl Venter of Freight & Trading Weekly has reported that according to Mr Sobantu Tilayi, the acting CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority, the organisation has been in discussion with the IMO over the issue of compliance with the STCW Convention since 2013.   

According to the latest report in Freight & Trading Weekly:

1. South Africa submitted its report to the IMO in 2013, on how it was giving effect to the STCW Convention, but the report was rejected.  A revised report sent to the IMO in 2014 was rejected again and a third report in 2016.
2. Mr Tilayi has advised that because South Africa is still not compliant, it has enlisted the services of the consultants that assisted the IMO with the initial audits to determine countries’ compliancy criteria.
3. Mr Tilayi has advised that the IMO has had three challenges with the South African report, being in terms of recognition of prior learning in the industry, the quality management system and a requirement of an independent evaluation.  Mr Tilayi said enough time has been allocated to complete this project by March 2020, which is well ahead of its next audit by the IMO in 2022, but it will now have to speed up the process, hence the decision to call in the consultants that had assisted the IMO.