SA Navy to cooperate with Hawks as it investigates SAS Manthatisi tragedy
Three sailors died and a senior officer was seriously injured when they were washed off the deck of the submarine, SAS Manthatisi.
READ: Board of inquiry wraps up investigation into SAS Manthatisi tragedy
It's understood that the crew was conducting a vertical transfer (vertrep) exercise with a South African Air Force Lynx helicopter off Kommetjie at the time of the incident.
The South African Navy subsequently convened a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the deadly incident.
That investigation has now been concluded.
SA Navy spokesperson, Theo Mabina, said that they met with the Hawks on Tuesday to hand over the board of inquiry's report.
"The engagements were meant to assist the Hawks with their ongoing investigations into the tragic incident wherein the SA Navy lost three of its submariners following a vertical transfer exercise between SAS Manthatisi and SA Air Force maritime Lynx helicopter in September 2023."
At the time of the incident, the submarine was on its way to Simons Town in Cape Town to take part in a mini navy festival.
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IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Hawks eye Kommetjie submarine tragedy
During the one year anniversary of the September 2023 tragedy, Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese hosted a memorial for families renaming of submarine buildings in their honour. Image: Henk Kruger /Independent Newspapers 'I JUST want to give one last, hard fight for my wife. This will be the last thing I ever do for her and I want to do it right. I want to give it everything." These were the words of Romero Hector, widower of Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector, one of three South African Navy members who died in the 2023 Kommetjie submarine tragedy. Hector, along with Warrant Officers William Malesela Mathipa and Mokwapa Lucas Mojela, lost their lives during a storm when rough waters disrupted a vertical transfer operation. The incident saw seven crew members swept out to sea, with only four surviving. Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector, Warrant Officer William Malesela Mathipa, and Warrant Officer Mokwapa Lucas Mojela were killed during a submarine exercise in Kommetjie. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The SA Navy on Tuesday handed over a copy of its Board of Inquiry (BOI) investigation report to the Hawks at Naval Headquarters, in Pretoria. 'The engagements were meant to assist the Hawks with their ongoing investigations into the tragic incident wherein the SA Navy lost three of its submariners following a vertical transfer (VERTREP) exercise between SAS MANTHATISI and SA Air Force Maritime Lynx helicopter in September 2023. The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese subsequently convened a Board of Inquiry on the incident. This meeting and engagement with the Hawks underscores the Navy's commitment to transparency, cooperation and accountability, as the Chief of the SA Navy has always maintained that the organisation will, within the confines of the laws and regulations, communicate the outcomes of the Board whenever the need arises,' the SA Navy said. The Hawks did not respond to further requests for comment on the status of its investigation by deadline. Romero said the handing of the BOI to the Hawks was welcomed but it still brought him no closer to accessing it, despite requests spanning over a year. In June, he had supported calls to have the report declassified. 'It must be stated that the handing over of the BOI to the Hawks does not mean I will have access to the board. I am still in the same position as it has not been handed over to me and more steps need to be taken to obtain a copy. 'The transparency that is claimed is not true. If it was, I would have also received a copy, as I have been requesting it via the legal system for more than a year. We will write again to the office of the Navy to obtain a copy in order to proceed with our steps in the civil matter. This matter is different to the Hawks (criminal) investigation,' he said. Romero still missed his wife daily. He recently embarked on a cycling campaign titled #Justice4Submarine3, where completed 800 kilometres in four days, capturing and documenting the journey along the way. "It's been a rollercoaster. I miss everything about her. You still dream about that person and then you must wake up and realise this person is no longer alive. We worked together, drove together, went to the gym and ran together. There wasn't a single part of my life that she wasn't part of. Without her, my life feels like one big, empty void. I just loved supporting her. She was a woman with enormous potential in her career, doing what she loved. All I ever wanted was to support her on her journey and I did that for 13 years. "When it comes to closure, I find it very difficult to even look for it. I'm fuelled by the desire and fight for justice. For me, this is a journey of making sure this never happens again, of finding justice for Gillian and the widows of the other two members involved. Right now, I'm 100% committed to that fight. I just want to give one last, hard fight for my wife. This will be the last thing I ever do for her and I want to do it right. I want to give it everything," he said. DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh the handover of the Kommetjie investigation report to the Hawks was long overdue. It also marked an essential first step toward justice. 'Choosing to push ahead with a high-risk vertical transfer exercise, despite clear weather warnings and a blatant disregard for critical safety protocols, was more than reckless. It was a decision that cost lives. The evidence now confirms what many feared: catastrophic failures in planning, risk management, and operational oversight directly led to the deaths of Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector and her two colleagues. That the Hawks see possible grounds for culpable homicide charges underscores the gravity of the failings on that day. 'Justice delayed is justice denied. The families of the fallen deserve closure. South Africans deserve answers. If negligence is proven, those responsible must be held fully accountable, swiftly and without compromise,' said Hattingh. Cape Times
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Hawks receive board of inquiry report on Kommetjie submarine tragedy, family still in the dark
The SA Navy has handed the Hawks a copy of the board of inquiry report into the 2023 submarine accident that claimed the lives of three submariners. Romero Hector, the widower of Lieutenant Commander Gillian Malouw-Hector, executive officer on the SAS 'Manthatisi, who, with two colleagues, Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa (48) and Warrant Officer Class 1 Mmokwapa Mojela (43) was killed in the accident off Kommetjie, Cape Town, in September 2023, said on Wednesday that while he welcomed the handing over to the Hawks of the report by the board of inquiry into the accident, he still did not have a copy. Hector said the fact that the report had been given to the Hawks did not mean that he would get to see it. He said he would continue his pursuit of a copy to take the next steps in a civil claim relating to the death of his wife. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Read more: 'She was exceptional' – mentor remembers Lieutenant Commander Gillian Malouw-Hector, first woman in Africa to navigate a submarine Last month, he undertook a gruelling bike ride from Cape Town to the Valley of Desolation outside Graaff-Reinet to bring attention to his efforts to obtain justice for his wife, Mojela and Mathipa. Navy-Hawks meeting Navy spokesperson Commander Theo Mabina confirmed that the board of inquiry report into the tragedy was officially handed to the Hawks during a meeting at Naval Headquarters in Pretoria on Tuesday, 8 July. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'The engagements were meant to assist the Hawks with their ongoing investigations into the tragic incident wherein the SA Navy lost three of its submariners following a vertical transfer exercise between [the submarine] SAS 'Manthatisi and a SA Air Force Maritime Lynx helicopter in September 2023.' Mabina said Chief of the SA Navy Vice Admiral Monde Lobese subsequently convened a board of inquiry into the incident. 'This meeting and engagement with the Hawks underscores the Navy's commitment to transparency, cooperation and accountability, as the Chief of the SA Navy has always maintained that the organisation will, within the confines of the laws and regulations, communicate the outcomes of the board whenever the need arises,' Mabina said. Read more: Questions remain a year after disaster claimed lives of three SA Navy submariners Brian Plaatjies, a former military judge now representing Hector, confirmed they had not been handed a copy of the report. Legal attempts He said he had written to the office of the navy chief, but had encountered several obstacles, 'even after the recommendations were made public'. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads He said that while they had not been refused access to the report, the navy had required many steps for them to gain access to a copy. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Plaatjies said that after he threatened legal action, the navy reopened the board of inquiry – one day before his deadline – citing the emergence of 'additional facts'. Plaatjies said they had also applied for a copy of the document in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act. The report was then sent to Defence Intelligence for declassification and masking, then to Defence Legal Services for its recommendation and finally to the chief of the South African Defence Force for his recommendation. 'So have all these processes now been done? I seriously doubt it,' he said. He said that it was about time Hector received closure on how his wife died. Handover welcomed Chris Hattingh, Democratic Alliance spokesperson for Defence and Military Veterans, said he too had been trying to get a copy of the report, but welcomed the handover to the Hawks. Read more: DA calls for immediate release of Navy report into 2023 Kommetjie submarine disaster 'The handover of the Kommetjie investigation report to the Hawks is long overdue, but it is an essential first step toward justice. For months, secrecy has smothered this tragedy, fuelling suspicion and outrage. 'Choosing to push ahead with a high-risk vertical transfer exercise, despite clear weather warnings and a blatant disregard for critical safety protocols, was more than reckless. It was a decision that cost lives. The evidence now confirms what many feared: catastrophic failures in planning, risk management, and operational oversight directly led to the deaths of Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector and her two colleagues. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'But these were not isolated mistakes; they are the predictable consequence of a defence force stripped bare by years of financial neglect, collapsing capabilities and absent leadership. This is what happens when critical skills are lost, equipment is left to rot and operational safety becomes an afterthought. 'That the Hawks see possible grounds for culpable homicide charges underscores the gravity of the failings on that day. 'Justice delayed is justice denied. The families of the fallen deserve closure. South Africans deserve answers. If negligence is proven, those responsible must be held fully accountable, swiftly and without compromise. 'The lives lost at Kommetjie must not become just another footnote in the SANDF's growing list of avoidable tragedies. We will push relentlessly for the full truth around Kommetjie to be made public, and for those responsible to face the consequences of their actions or inaction,' Hattingh said. The Hawks have not responded to a request for comment. DM
Eyewitness News
6 days ago
- Eyewitness News
SA Navy to cooperate with Hawks as it investigates SAS Manthatisi tragedy
CAPE TOWN - The South African Navy says it will cooperate with the Hawks as it investigates the cause of a 2023 tragedy involving a navy submarine off the Cape coast. Three sailors died and a senior officer was seriously injured when they were washed off the deck of the submarine, SAS Manthatisi. READ: Board of inquiry wraps up investigation into SAS Manthatisi tragedy It's understood that the crew was conducting a vertical transfer (vertrep) exercise with a South African Air Force Lynx helicopter off Kommetjie at the time of the incident. The South African Navy subsequently convened a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the deadly incident. That investigation has now been concluded. SA Navy spokesperson, Theo Mabina, said that they met with the Hawks on Tuesday to hand over the board of inquiry's report. "The engagements were meant to assist the Hawks with their ongoing investigations into the tragic incident wherein the SA Navy lost three of its submariners following a vertical transfer exercise between SAS Manthatisi and SA Air Force maritime Lynx helicopter in September 2023." At the time of the incident, the submarine was on its way to Simons Town in Cape Town to take part in a mini navy festival.
