Page 74 - Maritime Book 1

FROM SHOREHAND TO HARBOUR MASTER
CAPTAIN ALEX MIYA HARBOUR MASTER: PORT OF CAPE TOWN
"You are the Captain of your destination."
Having grown up and matriculated in Eshowe, Alex Miya, joined South African Railways & Harbours as a Shorehand helping to moor vessels in the Port of Richards Bay, 65 kilometres away during the Apartheid era of the eighties.
“People used to laugh at me because I used to tell my colleagues that one day I would drive those big ships coming in and out of the harbour. At the time I didn’t even know where to start, but I kept saying it,” recounts Captain Miya.
Somebody must have overheard him and he was sent by the Port Captain to Richards Bay Technical College to study for certi cates in electrical and mechanical engineering. From there he went to Technikon Natal to do maritime studies, before going to sea as a cadet with Safmarine. He then passed his oral exams, which made him eligible for selection for the pilot training in Rotterdam.
“I understood the role we played in the ports
as gateways to trade. This inspired me to study further so I could make a bigger contribution, and I went on to obtain my open licence,” he said.
Captain Miya then became Marine Operations Manager in the Port of Mossel Bay, Deputy Harbour Master of the Port of Saldanha, Harbour Master of the Port of Saldanha, Harbour Master of the Port of Durban from 2014 to 2018 and then Harbour Master of the Port of Cape Town where he is currently posted.
Asked about how marine piloting prepared him
for the role of Harbour Master, Captain Miya said: “Training as a marine pilot taught me the rules of the game and the vulnerabilty of this profession where you are the authority, and have to make
and stand by your decisions regarding the safe
and ef cient passage of vessels through the port. The risks associated with being a harbour master revolve around a knowledge of piloting, as you lead and guide the pilots. “
“You make decisions that can be challenged in a court of law so you have to think logically, use your expertise and consult with others to ensure your decisions are well informed. “
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