NO SOUTH AFRICAN FRIGATE IN MOZAMBIQUE. SAYS MINISTER

The Mozambican Fisheries Minister, Victor Borges, has denied that the South African government has sent a frigate to Mozambique to help combat the growing threat of piracy in the waters of the Mozambique channel.The Minister’s remarks follow reports from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that the Pretoria government has sent the frigate the “SAS Mendi” into the Mozambique Channel. South African press reports from earlier in the month said that the “Mendi” was being prepared in the port of Durban, in readiness for deployment in the fight against Somali pirates.Speaking to reporters, Borges said he did not know where the frigate was right now. He confirmed that South Africa “expressed a wish to collaborate with us by sending a frigate that would help the Mozambican government in our efforts to patrol the coast”.Borges said there are regular consultations between the Mozambican and South African governments on security issues. He added that the Mozambican defence and security forces “take into account all offers of collaboration. The government appreciates these offers”. As for the Mozambican fishing boat, the “Vega 5”, hijacked by Somali pirates on 27 December, Borges said the Mozambican government is willing to use any information “that will help us rescue our citizens”.The crew of the “Vega 5” consists of 19 Mozambicans, three Indonesians and two Spaniards. It is owned by Pescamar, which is a joint Mozambican-Spanish fishing company. The government has had no contact with the crew since the ship was seized.Borges said the pirates have made no attempt to contact the government. He thought this was not surprising, since experience shows that the pirates make their ransom demands, not to governments, but to shipowners.He added that the government is in permanent contact with Pescamar, and with its Spanish parent company, Pescanova.