Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)Chapter V : Safety of Ships and Life at SeaPart I : Construction of ships, provision of life-saving appliances and installation of radio197. Duration of safety certificates |
| (1) | Subject to the provisions of this section, a safety convention certificate or a local safety certificate shall expire at the end of such period, not exceeding two years, in the case of a cargo ship safety equipment certificate or five years, in the case of a cargo ship safety construction certificate, or one year, in the case of any other certificate, from the date of its issue, as may be specified therein, or upon the giving of notice by the Authority to the owner or master of the vessel that it has been cancelled. |
[Section 197(1) substituted by section 14 of Act No. 13 of 1965]
| (2) | An exemption certificate shall not remain in force for a period longer than the period of the passenger ship safety certificate, the cargo ship safety construction certificate, the cargo ship safety equipment certificate or the cargo ship safety radio certificate, and a local safety exemption certificate shall not remain in force for a period longer than the period of the local general safety certificate, issued in respect of the same vessel. |
[Section 197(2) substituted by section 6 of Act No. 23 of 1997]
(3)
| (a) | The Authority may grant an extension of— |
| (i) | any safety convention certificate, except a cargo ship safety construction certificate; or |
| (ii) | any local safety certificate, issued in respect of any vessel registered or licensed in the Republic for a period not exceeding one month from the date when the certificate would, but for the extension, have expired, or, if the vessel is absent from the Republic on that date, for a period not exceeding five months from that date. |
[Section 197(3)(a) substituted by item 14 (Schedule 2) of Act No. 58 of 1998]
| (b) | If any safety convention certificate, except a cargo ship safety construction certificate, issued in respect of a ship not registered in the Republic, expires while such ship is in any port in the Republic, the Authority may, for sound reasons, extend such certificate for any period not exceeding five months, which extension shall be granted only for the purpose of allowing such ship to complete its voyage to the country in which it is registered or is to be inspected. |
[Section 197(3)(b) substituted by section 2(2) of Act No. 5 of 1998]
| (c) | Notwithstanding the provisions of this section the validity of a certificate shall expire upon transfer of any ship to the flag of another country. |
[Section 197(3) substituted by section 6 of Act No. 3 of 1981]