African maritime transport charter - A legitimate mechnism with a potential to restructure and rejuvenate maritime transport sphere of influence in Africa.

Abstract

Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 8-11 July 2013 "Transport and Sustainable Infrastructure", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

The paper provides an insight into the Charter’s objectives and what it aims to achieve. It does not only highlight the key maritime transport challenges facing the continent and South Africa, but also offers the Charter’s concrete propositions on policy, strategy and institutional framework for the regulation and management of maritime programmes, resources and infrastructure. Correctly, the paper identifies the Charter’s proposition to a ring-fenced public sector driven financing approach for maritime transport provision and management. The paper further highlights the Charter’s concern on the need for the development of the African shipping line and then provides a case for cabotage policy approach. The paper laments the state of aids to navigation along the continent and the Charter’s call for more cooperation at continental level to pull resources together for the common interest of developing and maintaining this marine tools and infrastructure supporting global trade and maritime safety and security in particular. With the vast areas of maritime restructuring propagated by the Charter it can be concluded that once coming into effect, the Charter will remain the legitimate mechanism with a potential to restructure and rejuvenate maritime transport sphere of influence in the Continent. The Charter will bring to the end the piecemeal approach adopted so far in dealing with matters maritime by the Continent.