Cape Town - Piracy is causing havoc to trade routes along
the east coast of Africa and the threat is fast moving closer to South African
waters, Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu warned this week.
"In 2006 pirates took 186 people hostage and held them
for ransom.
"By 2010 the figure had increased to 1016," she
said at the opening of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium in Cape Town on
Wednesday.
The heads and representatives of the navies of 89 countries
gathered in Cape Town to discuss options to combat the scourge of piracy.
This year's event focused on regional maritime security
threats.
Sisulu said maritime security is fundamentally linked to the
development and economic prosperity of African countries.
She said she was concerned about the range of illegal and
criminal activities burdening Africa's shores and endangering economies that
revolve around the oceans.
"Approximately 90% of trade destined for Africa is
transported by sea.
"This percentage is higher within intra-African trade.
It is within this context that you will understand how tangible our
vulnerability is."
Sisulu said piracy is rapidly moving to Southern African
Development Community (Sadc) nations.
"Tanzania has reported 57 attacks by pirates in its
territorial waters between February 2011 and February 2012. This points to the
relocation of piracy to the Sadc oceans."
Rear Admiral Robert Higgs, chief of staff of the SA Navy,
said the greatest lesson is that cooperation is a necessity to combat piracy.
"No one is in this fight alone and no one nation has
the means to go it alone."
Delegates warned that while cooperation is critical, nations
must retain sovereignity over their coastal waters.
"This was one of the issues raised," Higgs said.
He said nations in Africa need rapid growth of their naval
capabilities.
"Their resources are being plundered and there's not
much they can do about it. This is why cooperation is essential."
The South African Navy already has a vessel patrolling the
waters from South Africa to Tanzania.
South Africa recently signed a trilateral agreement with
Mozambique and Tanzania on further cooperation.
South Africa has the only navy with the means to do deep
water patrolling.
Sisulu said countries must act together to combat maritime
insecurity, and that collective cooperation would be mutually beneficial in
obtaining solutions to regional maritime security.
She also said there needs to be a focus not only on
addressing piracy but also its root causes, such as ongoing instability and
poverty in nations pirates originate from.
This sentiment was agreed upon by other delegates.
The chief of the Iranian navy, Rear Admiral Habiballah
Sayyari, said people often revert to piracy out of desperation.
"It's no use throwing water out of a leaking boat with a bucket. You need to fix the hole in the boat," Sayyari said.