Fire-Gutted Ships in Dar, Zanzibar Had No Insurance!

From Darius Mukiza.

THREE passenger ships of MV Pemba, MV Aziza I and MV Aziza II which caught fire recently in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar respectively had no insurance cover, the 'Daily News' has established. MV Aziza I and MV Aziza II operated by Zanzibar Mkunazini caught fire in March this year while at Zanzibar port while MV Pemba was gutted at Dar es Salaam port a week ago. Speaking to this paper on telephone yesterday, the Director of Zanzibar Insurance, Hajj Idd, said the ships had been operating without insurance for a long time. “For example one of the Aziza ships had been grounded for more than a year at Zanzibar port without insurance,” he claimed. On a passenger-cum-cargo ship, Mv Pemba, Mr Hajj said the ship, too, had no insurance for more than a year. He explained that owners of such vessels had to bear the cost of repair in case of damages. Commenting on marine vessels operating without insurance, the Secretary of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority’s Consumer Consultative Council (Sumatra-CCC), Mr Oscar Kikoyo, said it was a criminal offence to own a vessel without insurance. He said in case of accident, passengers were supposed to claim compensation directly from the vessel owners. Mr Kikoyo said the compensation per head is 333 units which when converted into Euro, the maximum amount every victim is supposed to be paid is 544m/-. He said the compensation was according to the Merchant Shipping Act of 2003. Mr Kikoyo said it was unsafe for vessel owners not to insure their vessels because compensation to victims in case of accident was very high. MV Aziza I and MV Aziza II had the capacity to carry up to 1,000 passengers each and were plying the Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Pemba routes. Fire gutted the two ships as they were undergoing maintenance at Mtoni in Zanzibar. MV Pemba, operated by Azam Marine, was undergoing maintenance at the Dar es Salaam port.

Source: Daily News

My point: I cannot believe that such big companies had vessels operating for years without insurance cover!Anyway this is bongo, au vipi?