Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Fleet Staff of the South African Navy, has emphasised the urgent need for increased regional cooperation to address the growing maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea. Speaking at the recent Maritime Security Conference in Stellenbosch, she highlighted the impact of recent events on South Africa’s coastal waters and the importance of a coordinated approach to ensure safety and stability.
The Red Sea crisis has led to a significant surge in shipping traffic around the Cape of Good Hope of 74%, placing strain on South Africa’s maritime resources. Hendricks noted that the South African Navy has witnessed a substantial increase in vessel activity and has been actively involved in search and rescue operations due to accidents, container spills and other maritime incidents, she told the third international Conference on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea.
She pointed to the recent incidents of ships losing containers and running aground as an alarming trend. For instance, two vessels, the MV Ultra Galaxy and the CMA CGN Benjamin Franklin, suffered accidents in July, the former going aground on the West Coast and the latter losing 40 containers. These accidents illustrate the hazards posed by increased traffic and poor weather conditions, necessitating greater focus on navigational safety.
Hendricks also underscored the importance of strengthening regional maritime security cooperation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Despite criticism over perceived inaction, she emphasised the achievements of the Standing Maritime Committee (SMC), a subcommittee of the Interstate Defence and Security Committee.
The Integrated Maritime Security Strategy was approved in 2022, which is a major step forward. “It’s no longer just about anti-piracy,” Hendricks remarked. The strategy now focuses on broader aspects of maritime governance, environmental management, and economic optimisation.
“We no longer just focus on anti-piracy in the region,” she explained. “We recognise that maritime security is more than just anti-piracy.”
However, she stressed the need for more effective implementation of the strategy and its accompanying action plan. “A lot more work needs to be done there. But on the positive side, at least we have an architecture from which to work going forward.”
To enhance regional cooperation, Hendricks proposed several initiatives, including joint naval exercises, information sharing, and capacity building. She highlighted the importance of confidence-building measures and the benefits of learning from other navies.
“These exercises are so important because they improve interoperability between not just navies, but other participants as well,” she said. “It builds relations between the various navies.”
Hendricks announced that “the SADC has decided that we need to have a maritime exercise,” with planning already advanced for later this year.
She explained that joint exercises “are absolutely crucial for a Navy such as ourselves and many navies within SADC, even further up the coast.”
Noting that the SA Navy has capacity, resourcing and budget issues, she said “this (exercise) is almost like a force multiplier for us.”
Hendricks also emphasized the need for increased investment in maritime security infrastructure and technology. She called for improved surveillance capabilities, better communication systems and enhanced response mechanisms.
Acknowledging that militaries generally do not like to share information, Hendricks proposed that further progress can be made in sharing shipping information.
She also proposed increased cooperation in naval coordination and guidance of shipping.
“We’ve been doing that for some time and I do believe that South Africa has the capability to even provide training in SADC,” she said, “that’s something we can leverage to strengthen capacity within the region.”
