Water safety awareness in honour of Madiba

In July, South Africans from all walks of life celebrated the legacy of Madiba by performing acts of kindness, service and charity. In this spirit, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has partnered with the NSRI to bring critical drowning prevention awareness and skills to those who need it most.

Drowning is the third leading cause of death worldwide, and one of the leading causes of death among people aged 1 to 24 years. According to the World Health Organisation, low- to middle-income countries such as South Africa have the highest burden globally, with 90% of fatal drowning incidents. Our national average is approximately 1477 drownings annually, of which the majority occur amongst children under 14 years.

It is for this reason that SAMSA has chosen to partner with the NSRI to provide Water Safety Education Lessons to 10 000 students in Gauteng, kickstarting its annual Corporate Social Investment programme during Nelson Mandela Month.

SAMSA is a public entity under the Department of Transport, mandated through law with responsibility for ensuring the safety of life and property at sea, prevention of pollution at sea by ships, and the promotion of South Africa’s maritime interest. It is also charged with the implementation and enforcement of the Merchant Shipping Regulations, which are aimed at promoting boating safety across the country including inland waters.

Gauteng has the third highest drowning numbers in South Africa after KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, even though it is landlocked and the smallest of the country’s nine provinces, with the least number of rivers and dams compared to other provinces. It also holds the unfortunate record for the highest incidence of drownings across all nine provinces in the 5-19 years age category.

Johannesburg, Sebokeng, Germiston, and Pretoria are four areas that have some of the highest incidences of drownings per annum. The programme will target students from several schools located in these communities across the social spectrum from July to December.

“We have selected Glen Austin Primary School in Midrand as the first beneficiary, which has 200 children who range from Grade 1 to Grade 7. This is the critical age in which they need to be water safe as they are the most vulnerable,” the NSRI’s Executive Director of Drowning Prevention Services, Dr Jill Fortuin.

Key areas have also been identified and assessed for the deployment of 46 Pink Rescue Buoys in the Gauteng region, and 460 Survival Swimming lessons will be provided in the summer months. In addition, 46 Drowning Prevention Champions will be given the opportunity to become Pink Rescue Buoy volunteers, water safety education volunteers, or receive bystander rescue training.

Since the inception of the NSRI’s water safety programme in 2006, the organisation has reached 4 million people through the project – and is excited about partnering with SAMSA to teach even more South African children these life-saving skills.

“We are so pleased that organisations such as SAMSA are collaborating with us to reach more people, specifically under-14s, through this programme,” says Dr Jill.

SAMSA also expressed its hopes for the positive impact the programme will have in a statement: “[SAMSA is] trying to reduce the drowning statistics in our country, and we are delighted in such partnerships as we would like to also change lives for the better and create futures, one child at a time.”

SAMSA Acting Head of the Centre for Corporate Affairs, Government and International Relations, and head of SAMSA CSI, Ms Mapitso Dlepu, added: “We have joined forces with the NSRI expertise in this area and we specifically chose to run the campaign in July because this year is the 10th anniversary of Madiba’s passing, thereby making it fit with the theme of The Legacy Lives on Through You”.

The NSRI thanks SAMSA for its generous contribution to saving lives on South African waters, and honouring the legacy of Madiba.