Speaker, inflicting a financial loss of over US$16 billion on the international shipping industry, the occurrence of maritime piracy in and around the east coast of Africa has significantly affected the long-term stability of global maritime trade.
Since the collapse of the Somali state in the early 1990s, international watch groups have expressed their concern about the rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia and the waterways of the Gulf of Aden.
As more than 85% of world trade relies on maritime transport, the lack of a feasible solution to this problem is troublesome, to say the least. The problem of piracy has never truly been a concern for the South African government, as attacks have never taken place within our territory's waters.
However, recent attacks indicate that this phenomenon is not only limited to the corner of Africa, as attacks have even been documented as far south as Mauritius and the Seychelles.
The latest attacks by pirates appear to have affected South African citizens. It is of the utmost importance that the government breaks its silence on this issue and addresses the matter with the seriousness that it deserves.
Considering our country's commitment to ensuring peace and security on the African continent and the need to ensure our own national security and the maintenance of international trade, the DA calls on the Departments of International Relations and Co-operation, and Defence and Military Veterans to address the issue of piracy on the coast of Africa, especially considering that piracy could become a more direct threat to South Africa if left unchecked elsewhere. Thank you.