With more than 200 employees working on six vessels out of the Ports of Durban and Richards Bay, black empowered specialist marine solutions provider SMIT Amandla Marine has a substantial footprint in the KwaZulu Natal region, where it operates a fleet of bunker barges and offshore terminal support vessels in service to its clients in the Shipping and Energy sectors.SMIT Amandla Marine’s Communications Officer Shamiema Harris: “Our team is involved in specialised, high risk operations on and under the water where the management of safety, health, and environmental protection is critical to success, both offshore and in the two Ports in the region. As a stakeholder in this industry, and with so many employees and their families who live and play on this beautiful coast, we recognise the important role that the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) plays in saving lives.”The company has recently donated R120 000 to the NSRI, for the benefit of NSRI stations at Richards Bay, Durban and Shelly Beach, to assist the organisation to better capacitate their volunteers who serve the needs of ocean users – both recreational and commercial.NSRI’s head of Donor Support, Alison Smith:“The generous donation from SMIT Amandla Marine will be used to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all three KZN Sea Rescue stations and to cover some of the fuel expenses at our Shelly Beach rescue base. The budgetary constraints on providing fuel for our boats has been a constant challenge and has impacted on us being able to train new team members effectively. This donation will assist us with this. The voluntary life-saving work of a Sea Rescue crew member often happens in foul weather. It is vital that our crew have the correct Personal Protection Equipment to allow them to carry out rescues in safety, protecting themselves from prolonged exposure.'Synergy between the NSRI and SMIT Amandla Marine, which provides professional maritime emergency response and salvage solutions to ship owners off the Southern African coast, is evidenced in this partnership.
