Cape Town - Diplomatic efforts were underway on Wednesday to secure the release of South African crew members of a ship that has been detained in Angola for more than two weeks after docking in the southern port of Lobito, the ministry of international relations said.
The vessel remained impounded by late afternoon, because its Nigerian owner was refusing to pay the docking fees demanded by Angolan authorities, ministerial spokesman Clayson Monyela said.
“We can understand the position of the Angolan authorities, they are not wrong because you cannot simply dock a vessels and refuse to pay the fees involved.”
Monyela said it was unfortunate that the mainly South African crew, one of whom fell seriously ill in Lobito, had been caught in the middle of the dispute for the past 17 days and found themselves running out of food supplies.
Staff at the South African embassy in Luanda were in contact with the crew and “doing everything possible to assist them”.
The ship docked at Lobito, some 500 kilometres south of Luanda, en route to Nigeria after the crew realised that they that it did not have enough fuel to reach their destination, according to fellow ministerial spokesman Nelson Kgwete.
He said the crew hired an agent to procure fuel and food but logistical difficulties ensued and the vessel was only refueled on Tuesday.
“It is quite an isolated place. They got sufficient fuel yesterday to get them on their way but because it was an unscheduled stop there have been problems.”
The ministry said the South African embassy had ensured that the ill crew member was treated at the nearest hospital and he was now well enough to continue his journey.
The captain remained on land while the rest of the crew were on the ship.
“He had health challenges and was hospitalised and given the necessary care and has now been cleared to travel again,” Kgwete said.
The ministry said the ship had been registered in South Africa.
It has been reported that the ship is a fishing vessel and that crew have been living off maize and rain water since reaching Lobito, although the ministry could not confirm this.
ANA