Lifesaving South Africa (LSA) is a South African organisation that promotes water safety and provides

surf rescue Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) racing, is a surf sport in which surf lifesaving club teams race Inflatable Rescue Boats. IRB racing competitions are held in various countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, th ...

services. LSA is a founding member organisation of the

International Life Saving Federation The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) is an organisation for drowning prevention, water safety, lifesaving and lifesaving sports. Definition The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) comprises over 130 national life saving orga ...

, and a member of

Royal Life Saving Society The Royal Life Saving Society UK is a drowning prevention charity founded in 1891 in the UK. It has had Royal Patronage since 1904. History The Royal Life Saving Society UK is a national charity, founded in 1891 by William Henry, with the aim of ...

. It is recognised by DSAC and

SASCOC The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) ( af, Suid-Afrikaanse Sportkonfederasie en Olimpiese Komitee) is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and National Paralympic Committee (NPC) for South Africa, and the respon ...

. Lifesaving South Africa organises national competitions such as the South African Lifesaving Surf National Championships, that involves various lifesaving events, including sea, board and beach competitions. LSA also sends representative teams to compete in international competitions.

History

Lifesaving officially began in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

around 1911 after Sir William Henry, who was at the time, the Secretary of

(RLSS) toured all member countries of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

to establish branches of the RLSS. The inaugural

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...

awards in South Africa subsequently started in 1913, with the RLSS retaining control of lifesaving activities till 1961 when South Africa established the South African Life Saving Society (SALS). In

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, the first lifesaving club, Durban Surf Lifesaving Club was established in 1927, while the Surf Lifesaving Association of South Africa (SLASA) was established in 1933. SALS became an affiliate of Fédération Internationale de Sauvetage Aquatique (FIS), now International Life Saving Federation (ILS), but was suspended in 1970 due to agitations against the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

policies of the government, only to be re-admitted in 1978. SLASA was among the pioneering seven national organisations that established International Surf Lifesaving Council in 1958. Subsequently, a new international body called World Life Saving (WLS) was established in 1971, but became abrogated in 1994 after its unification with FIS, leading to the establishment of a new international organisation, known as the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS). SALS had a name change to South African National Water Safety Council effected in 1980, then subsequently merged with SLASA to become South African Lifesaving (SAL) in 1984. South African Surf Lifesaving Union (SASLU) was founded by some 'black' affiliates of SLASA, whose participation in competitions was encumbered with many restrictions. St. Georges Strand became the initial lifesaving club to withdraw membership in 1977, prompting other clubs to follow in its footsteps. Four of the members of the aforementioned St. Georges Strand visited

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

and

Natal Province The Province of Natal (), commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into ...

to begin the establishment of SASLU in 1980. LSA came into existence when two associations, the South African Surf Lifesaving Union (SASLU) together with the South African Lifesaving Association (SA Lifesaving), merged to establish one united governing body to control all lifesaving associations working in South Africa in May 2013. Lifesaving South Africa members are volunteers and they patrol majority of the South African coastline and beaches in addition to the inland resorts, and public events that are held during holidays and weekends. LSA’s main aims are the protection of bathers from drowning in water related incidents, as well as lifesaving and lifesaving sport.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Sports governing bodies in South Africa Surf lifesaving Lifesaving Swimming in South Africa

History

See also

References

External links