Somlomo ohloniphekile, malungu ahloniphekile, mphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika, uKhongolose uyawuseka lo Mthethosivivinywa wokuSungulwa kwesiKhwama sokuNxephezela (seziNdleko zoMonakalo) wokuChitheka kukaWoyela oLwandle lwaseNingizimu Afrika, phecelezi i- Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability Convention) Bill, uma kuchitheka uwoyela othwelwe umkhumbi.
Kumele sibonge ukuthi ayenzekanga inhlekelele yokuchitheka kowoyela olwandle lwaseNingizimu Afrika ngaphambi kokuba lo Mthethosivivinywa wethulwe kule Ndlu yesiShayamthetho esikholwa ukuthi le Ndlu izowuphasisa namhlanje nokuthi abantu bonke baseNingizimu Afrika bazowujabulele kakhulu.
Yize sijabula ngomsebenzi esiwenzile wokusheshisa ukucubungula lo Mthethosivivinywa ngenxa yokubaluleka kwawo, sibambe umoya kanye namaphaphu aphezulu sifisa ukuthi ingenzeki inhlekelele yokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle ngaphambi kokuthi uMongameli wezwe, uMnu Jacob Zuma, awusayine lo Mthethosivivinywa. Uma kungenzeka kugubhuqele umkhumbi othwala uwoyela olwandle singazalelwa inja endlini ngoba uhulumeni kungadingeka akhiphe izigidigidi zamarandi ukulungisa umonakalo ongenzeka. Lokho kungaba nomthelela omubi kakhulu ohlelweni lokulethwa kwezidingo zabantu, ikakhulukazi, ukuthuthukiswa kwemiphakathi ehluphekayo.
Lo Mthethosivivinywa uhlose ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ibe yingxenye yomthetho womhlaba wonke wokufaka imali esikhwameni sesinxephezelo sokuthwala izindleko zomonakalo odalwa ukuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle. Lesi sikhwama somhlaba sikhona, kade sasungulwa futhi siyawasebenzela amanye amazwe. Kuphela nje okukhona ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ibingeyona ingxenye yaso ngenxa yokuthi phela iNingizumu Afrika yake yasebenza ngobandlululo yase ikhishwa inyumbazana ngamanye amazwe. Ukhongolose usakhuculula lezo zinkinga ezeziwa yilabo ababengontamolukhuni; bebusa ngobandlululo.
Lokho kusho ukuthi kumele iNingizimu Afrika ifake imali esikhwameni somhlaba sokunxephezela izindleko zomonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle ukuze izindleko zokulungisa umonakalo ongenzeka zingathwalwa uhulumeni.
Lo Mthethosivivinywa uzosiza ngokuthi imali ingakhokhwa inkampani yemikhumbi kanye nomshwalensi wenkampani yemikhumbi kuphela uma kwenzeke inhlekelele yokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle ngoba, leyo mali ingaba ncane kakhulu ukuthi ingamelana nezindleko zomonakalo ongenzeka.
Uma uhulumeni wethu engayiqoqi imali yokufaka kulesi sikhwama sokunxephezela, wuye ongagcina esebhekene nezindleko zokukhuculula uwoyela olwandle kanye nokukhuculula umonakalo owenziwe inkampani yemikhumbi. Lokho kungaba nomthelela omubi kakhulu, ikakhulukazi, ekuhanjisweni kwezidingo zomphakathi. Lokhu, uma bekungenzeka, nezinkampani zemikhumbi ethutha uwoyela bezingagcina ngokuvala ngoba izindleko zingaphezulu kakhulu kwamandla ezinkampani.
Isikhwama lesi esibizwa ngokuthi i-Merchant Shipping International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund, siyokwazi ukukhokha imali engadlula kuzinkulungwane ezintathu uma kwenzekile kwagubhuqela umkhumbi kwachitheka uwoyela olwandle. Lokho kuchaza ukuthi uma umkhumbi othwala uwoyela kungenzeka uchithe uwoyela olwandle lwaseNingizimu Afrika kuyokhokha inkampani leyo yomkhumbi ochithe uwoyela kuphinde kukhokhe nomshwalensi wenkampani yemikhumbi ethutha uwoyela, kanjalo nesikhwama lesi esikhuluma ngaso i-Merchant Shipping International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund.
Ngokwenza njalo, kusuka izindleko zomonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle emahlombe kahulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika nakubatheli bentela. Umbuzo esicabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu ulindele impendulo yawo uthi: Izophuma kubani imali yokusungula isikhwama saseNingizimu Afrika ezofakwa esikhwameni somhlaba? Impendulo yalo mbuzo ithi: Uhulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika uzoqoqa imali kubahwebi bezinkampani ezithutha uwoyela ngoba umkhiqizo wabo ongasifaka engcupheni yokungcolisa ulwandle. Okusho ukuthi abantu abazokhokha kulesi sikhwama yilezi zinkampani okuyizona ezikhiqiza nalezo futhi ezithutha uwoyela. Yibona abantu abazofaka imali kulesi sikhwama, akuzukukhokhiswa amalungu omphakathi ukuze kwakheke lesi sikhwama.
UMthethosivivinywa ogunyaza ukuqoqwa kwemali uzocutshungulwa yiKomiti leziMali kule Ndlu yesiShayamthetho. Okubalulekile ukuthi ukuze usebenze lo mthetho wokusungulwa kwesikhwama sokunxephezela kanye nokuthwalwa kwezindleko zomonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle kuzodingeka ukuthi le Ndlu yesiShayamthetho kaZwelonke noma uMkhandlu kaZwelonke iphasise uMthethosivivinywa ozokwethulwa yiKomiti leziMali ogunyaza ukuqoqwa kwezimali kulabo abahweba ngowoyela.
Uma lowo mthetho ogunyaza ukuqoqwa kwezimali ungazange waphasiswa yilesi siShayamthetho, lo Mthethosivivinywa esikhuluma ngawo namhlanje ngeke ukwazi ukusebenza. Uma futhi uMongameli wezwe engawusayindanga uMthethosivivinywa wokuqoqwa kwezimali ozokwethulwa yiKomiti leziMali, lo Mthethosivivinywa esikhuluma ngawo namhlanje angeke futhi ukwazi ukusebenza ngoba ukusebenza kwesikhwama sokunxephezela kanye nokuthwalwa kwezindleko zomonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle kuncike kakhulu ekuqoqweni kwemali ezofakwa esikhwameni.
Ngakho-ke, Sihlalo namalungu ahloniphekile, kuyobaluleka ukuthi uMthethosivivinywa wokuqoqwa kwezimali zesikhwama ube ngeminye yemithetho esohlwini eseqhulwini ezophasiswa yileli Phalamende leSine. Uma singahluleka ukwenza lokho singabeka leli lizwe engcupheni yokuthi kube uhulumeni obhekana nezindleko kanye nomonakalo wokuchitheka kukawoyela olwandle uma kungenzeka inhlekelele enjalo.
Ngesikhathi iKomiti licubungula lo Mthethosivivinywa lathola isethulo esenziwa izinhlangano zezazimthetho zokuthutha ngamanzi zaseNingizimu Afrika, phecelezi i-Maritime Law Association of South Africa, i-MLASA. Kwaphinda kwaba nokuphawula okwenziwa i-SA Maritime Safety Authority, u- SAMSA, eKomidini lezokuThutha, kanti futhi salekelelwa uMeluleki wezoMthetho kaHulumeni, phecelezi i-State Law Adviser kanye noMeluleki wezoMthetho wePhalamende phecelezi i-Parliamentary Law Adviser.
Okwavunyelwana ngakho-ke kwaba ukuthi lesi sinxephezelo sizosebenza endaweni engamakhilomitha angamakhulu amabili ukusuka ogwini lolwandle kuya ekujuleni kolwandle. Isinxephezelo futhi sizofaka nendawo ebizwa ngokuthi i- Prince Edward Islands. Lokho kuchaza ukuthi yimikhumbi eyobe ihamba endaweni engekho ngaphezulu kwamakhilomitha angamakhulu amabili ukusuka ogwini lolwandle kuya ekujuleni kolwandle eyokwazi ukuthi inxeshezelwe.
SinguKhongolose siyaziqhenya ngoshintsho olwenziwa nguhulumeni kaKhongolose kwezokuthutha ngamanzi. Yinde indlela esisazoyihamba ukulungisa lo mkhakha ukuze kuvikeleke izwe lakithi nokuthi abantu ababehluphekile; bengakwazi ukungena kulo mkhakha, bakwazi ukungena kwezohwebo lomkhakha wezokuthutha ngamanzi kuphinde kuvuleleke namathuba emisebenzi, futhi nabantu bakithi babe nemikhumbi.
UKhongolose uyawusela lo Mthethosivivinywa wokuSungulwa kwesiKhwama sokuNxephezela iziNdleko zoMonakalo wokuChitheka kuka Woyela oLwandle. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Ms N R BHENGU: Hon Chairperson, hon members and the society of South Africa, the ANC supports the Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability Convention) Bill, which will help to remedy the situation when ships spill oil at sea.
We must be grateful that oil spill disasters have not yet happened in the oceans around South Africa before this Bill was presented to the National Assembly. We believe that the House is going to pass it today and that will be good news for all South Africans.
Although we are pleased with the work that we have done to process the Bill speedily since it is very important, we are anxious that the President of the country, Mr Jacob Zuma, should sign it before an oil spill disaster happens. If an oil-carrying ship should be grounded, then the government would be liable to spend millions of rands to remedy the situation. That, in turn, would negatively impact on service delivery, especially in poorer communities.
This Bill is aimed at introducing South Africa to contributing to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund which is used to compensate for oil spill disasters. This fund is utilised for the whole world, it has been in existence for a long time and it is used effectively in other countries. South Africa is not a part of it, since the country was previously under apartheid and sanctions were imposed on it. The ANC is still righting the wrongs of the past and solving problems that were caused by the apartheid regime for the country.
That, then, means that South Africa has to contribute to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund so that our government will not be liable to pay up for oil spills.
This Bill will increase the compensation that might have to be paid by a shipping company and its insurance as the compensation might be too little to pay for all the damage caused by oil spills.
If our government does not contribute to the compensation fund, it will consequently incur costs associated with cleaning up oil spills that are caused by shipping companies at sea. That would have a very negative impact, especially on service delivery. If this should happen, even oil shipping companies would end up closing down because of high costs.
The International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund may pay over three thousand rands if there is an oil spill accident at sea. This means that if an oil tanker happened to spill oil at sea around South Africa, the responsible shipping company, its insurance, as well as the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund would pay for damages.
In so doing, oil pollution compensation liabilities are removed from the hands of the South African government and taxpayers. One question whose answer we think everyone is expecting is this: How will the funds that South Africa will contribute to the international fund be generated? The answer is as follows: The South African government will collect revenue from oil shipping companies because it is their product that puts us at the risk of oil pollution of the sea. The oil producing and oil shipping companies will be liable for payments. Taxpayers will not be expected to contribute to the fund.
The Bill, which authorises the collection of revenue, will be processed by the Portfolio Committee on Finance in this House of the National Assembly. In order for the legislation to establish the compensation fund and to cover costs incurred through oil spills, the National Assembly or the National Council of Provinces will have to pass the Bill that will be presented by the Portfolio Committee on Finance, which will authorise the collection of revenue from companies that trade in oil.
If the legislation that authorises the collection of revenue is not passed in Parliament, the Bill we are discussing today will not become law. If the President does not sign the Bill, which is going to be presented by the Portfolio Committee on Finance, it cannot be implemented because the use of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund and the cleaning up of oil spills at sea depends on the collection of revenue for the fund.
Therefore, Chairperson and hon members, this Bill should be given priority in the Fourth Parliament. If we fail to do this, we would be risking our government covering all the costs in the event of an oil spill disaster.
When the committee processed this Bill, they received a proposal from the Maritime Law Association of South Africa, MLASA. The SA Maritime Safety Authority, Samsa, also made recommendations to the Transport committee, as well as the State Law Adviser and the Parliamentary Law Adviser.
It was agreed that the compensation fund would be utilised in an area of up to two hundred kilometres offshore. It will also be used around the Prince Edward Islands. That means only ships sailing at a distance of not more than two hundred kilometres will be compensated.
As the ANC we are proud of the transformation that the ANC government has brought about in water transport. We still have a long way to go towards transforming this sector in order to safeguard our country and to open up opportunities to the previously disadvantaged to obtain access to this kind of business and for them to own ships and also to open up employment opportunities for them.
The ANC supports this Merchant Shipping (Civil Liability Convention) Bill so that the compensation fund may be established. Thank you. [Applause.]]