The Executive Committee was established on a national level in terms of Act, 44 of 2002. It is made up of government departments and agencies, private and commercial undertakings as well as voluntary organisations, and it is the highest policy and decision making body of SASAR.
The Executive Committee is not only the policy making body, it also develops policy to continually improve the effectiveness of the SASAR Organisation. The Executive Committee is chaired by the Head of SASAR, who is an official appointed by the Director-General of the Department of Transport.
The SASAR Secretariat, is staffed by employees of the DOT, and is responsible for providing a support service to the SASAR Executive Committee and for ensuring the creation of an enabling environment for the provision of an effective and efficient search and rescue service for South African.
Search and Rescue operations often take place in co-operation with states neighbouring the South African Search and Rescue area of responsibility. Fourteen countries border our Search and Rescue area of responsibility.
The Department of Transport, on behalf of SASAR, is responsible for negotiating and concluding bilateral search and rescue agreements, which provide a framework for co-operation.