Onboard Birthday Party and Communications Signal Search Led to Mauritius Ship Accident

Captain Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, the captain of the ship that ran aground in July 2019, has told an inquiry that he steered the vessel close to the island of Mauritius to search for an internet connection.

The decision led to the ship breaking in half and tons of fuel being spilled, causing an ecological emergency off the coast of the east African island nation. The BBC reports that the MV Wakashio was carrying 4 000 tons of fuel when it hit a coral reef.

Captain Nandeshwar said, “There was no internet on the ship, and I agreed to dock in Mauritius so that the crew members could communicate with their relatives.” He said that that helped keep the morale of the crew high.

The Captain and his assistant were subsequently arrested. Both the Mauritius government and the ship’s crew have blamed the captain for the accident before an Inquiry. Some have testified to a birthday celebration having been held onboard the ship, with Captain Nandeshwar having allowed the crew to drink despite an alcohol and drugs prohibition onboard.

Umm Muhammed Umar

Alternative Mining Indaba 2026

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 19 February 2026 1-minute read The Alternative Mining Indaba which concluded in Cape Town brought together an array of people under the theme: Alternative Stories of Mining, united in solidarity with the mining communities...

SANDF deployment to Cape Flats, parts of Gauteng sparks debate over long-term solutions

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 4-minute read 16 February 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to combat gang violence on the Cape Flats and in parts of Gauteng has been met with mixed reactions,...

ASRI Report: Key SONA 2026 Takeaways on Water, Crime and District Six

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 4-minute read 13 February 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) has placed renewed attention on some of South Africa’s most urgent crises — from water insecurity and violent crime, to the fragile...

SONA 2026: Calls for Action on Frontline Public Services

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 11 February 2026 As South Africa prepares for the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), renewed calls are being made for the government to prioritise the rebuilding of frontline public services, which analysts...

ActionSA’s Proposal For Immigrants

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 17 February 2026 2-minute read On the revised ‘White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection’ published last year, Actions SA has proposed for only 10 thousand applications for asylum seekers to be considered...

What DA Premier Expects From SONA

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 12 February 2026 2-minute read With 345 murders in the Western Cape this January, DA Premier Allen Winde states that his expectations from SONA this year are levelled towards crime. The party has been calling for a long time...