Latest news with #Manthatisi
Eyewitness News
10-07-2025
- Eyewitness News
SAS Manthatisi tragedy: Widower welcomes handing over inquiry report to Hawks
CAPE TOWN - South African Navy Commander Romero Hector, whose wife died in the 2023 tragedy involving a Navy submarine, has welcomed the handing over of the board of inquiry report to the Hawks. Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector and her colleagues, Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa and Warrant Officer Mokwapa Mojela, died after being swept off the submarine off the Cape coast. ALSO READ: - SA Navy to cooperate with Hawks as it investigates SAS Manthatisi tragedy - Board of inquiry wraps up investigation into SAS Manthatisi tragedy - SAS Manthatisi tragedy: Widower of deceased SA Navy commander wants answers They were involved in a training drill in stormy sea conditions off Kommetjie in September 2023. A board of inquiry looking into the cause of the tragic incident has wrapped up its work and the report handed over to the Hawks for further investigations. However, Hector, who has been looking for answers on what exactly caused his wife's death, said he has still not seen the report. He has told Eyewitness News that he has been seeking answers from his superiors for over a year now after suspecting negligence, but he's been met with red tape. Hector said his lawyers wrote to the office of the Navy again to try and obtain a copy to proceed with his civil matter. He hopes a copy of the board of Inquiry probe will be made available to him as soon as possible.
Daily Maverick
09-07-2025
- General
- 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
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
SAS Manthatisi tragedy: Widower of deceased SA Navy commander wants answers
CAPE TOWN - The widower of a SA Navy commander who died after going overboard from a submarine in stormy seas off the coast of Kommetjie wants answers. Lieutenant Commander Gillian Hector and two other officers, master warrant officer William Mathipa and Warrant Officer Mokwapa Mojela, died during the incident on 20 September 2023. Hector's widower, Commander Romero Hector, who is also an SA Navy officer, says he's ready to approach the courts to establish the truth about what transpired on that day. The SA Navy's chief, Monde Lobese, presented the findings of a board of inquiry into the tragic incident a year after the officers perished at sea. The report stated the SAS Manthatisi crew followed their code of conduct and were simply at the right place at the wrong time. Hector says he approached his superiors for full disclosure of the report after suspecting negligence and foul play, but was met with red tape. "After I put pressure, with me and my lawyer asking for this, they wrote me a letter saying that the board has reconvened due to new evidence that came forward." Hector says the findings of the second inquiry were classified late last year. DA CALLS FOR DECLASSIFICATION OF SA NAVY REPORT The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Department of Defence to declassify a SA Navy report related to the SAS Manthatisi submarine tragedy that resulted in the death of three officers. Hector was the first female to qualify in her position and was on the verge of becoming the first female commanding officer in the SA Navy. The DA's parliamentary spokesperson on defence and military veterans, Chris Hattingh, says evidence shows serious failures in planning and operational oversight contributed to the SAS Manthatisi submarine tragedy. Despite clear weather warnings on 20 September 2023, says Hattingh, the exercise proceeded, ignoring critical safety board of inquiry reconvened after new evidence came to light, but its findings were classified late last year. "This wall of secrecy by defence intelligence and the Department of Defence is a disgrace. Our armed forces deserve transparency, accountability and above all justice." The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (widely known as the Hawks) has confirmed an investigation into the incident is underway. The SA Navy has indicated it will respond later on Wednesday.
Eyewitness News
12-06-2025
- Eyewitness News
SANDF says it's committed to cooperating with Hawks' probe into SAS Manthatisi incident
CAPE TOWN - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said it was committed to cooperating with the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations related to the SAS Manthatisi submarine incident. Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector, Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa and Warrant Officer Mokwapa Mojela, died after being swept off the submarine during a training drill in stormy sea conditions in September 2023. Hector's widower, Commander Romero Hector, who is also a SA Navy officer, is still looking for answers, while the Hawks have confirmed that an investigation into the incident was underway. SA Navy Commander Romero Hector, whose wife, Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector, perished during the incident, said that he approached his superiors for full disclosure after suspecting negligence but was met with red tape. Hector said he feels vindicated after the Hawks confirmed they were investigating the incident. "I would like to see the Hawks fully execute their criminal investigation, as well as me pursuing my civil case against them." SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said that the SA Navy's legal team was committed to cooperating with the Hawks. "The SA Navy is in contact with the complainant, Commander Hector, and his legal representatives regarding their requests and concerns." Prince also rejected the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s claim that the SANDF was refusing to release a report on the incident, saying once legal procedures were completed, a response would be made public.
Daily Maverick
11-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
DA calls for immediate release of Navy report into 2023 Kommetjie submarine disaster
The DA's Chris Hattingh has called for the immediate declassification and public release of the SA Navy's investigation into the disaster in 2023 that claimed the lives of three submariners. Chris Hattingh, the Democratic Alliance's (DA's) defence spokesperson, has called on the SA National Defence Force and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to immediately release an internal report into the disaster near Kommetjie in the Western Cape in which three submariners died. One of them was Lieutenant Commander Gillian Malouw-Hector (33), who grew up in Schauderville, Nelson Mandela Bay, and trained with the Sea Cadets in Humewood. She was the commanding officer of the SAS 'Manthatisi, which was conducting a naval exercise near Kommetjie in September 2023 when large waves swept the crew overboard. Five were saved, but three — Malouw-Hector, Master Warrant Officer William Mathipa (48) and Warrant Officer Class 1 Mmokwapa Mojela (43) — died. The submariners were conducting a vertical transfer using an SA Air Force Maritime Lynx helicopter when they were swept overboard. On Tuesday, Hattingh said he did not understand the reasons for keeping the report, which was finalised in 2023, secret. 'The purpose of sailing the ship was to go to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for a Heritage Day open day,' he said. 'It was not a military operation. They only conducted a training exercise en route.' The findings of a board of inquiry into the incident were made public. The inquiry concluded that the submariners died in an accident caused by freak waves and that they had followed all protocols. It also found that they had performed a similar exercise in worse weather conditions. Malouw-Hector was the first female submarine navigator in Africa. At the time, the Navy said her death 'is a huge loss for the South African Navy, the entire Department of Defence and the country as a whole. [She] was the first female to qualify in her position in the submarine, [and] she was also on the verge of becoming the first female commanding officer… It took years of training for her to get here.' But now her family, friends and community might never know what happened on that fateful day. Censored Hattingh said the Navy's report had been 'censored by Defence Intelligence' and was being 'withheld from the victims' families, their legal representatives, and even the Hawks. 'This obstruction of justice by the Navy and the Department of Defence must end,' he said. 'Despite clear weather warnings, the exercise proceeded, ignoring critical safety protocols. Evidence now shows that serious failures in planning and operational oversight directly contributed to the fatal outcome.' The Navy has not responded yet to Daily Maverick's request for comment, but its written response to Hattingh indicates that a myriad of further 'processes must be followed' to get the report released, and its release can be refused at any stage. The Navy told Hattingh, 'The Department of Defence would like to inform you that the requested records have been scrutinised/declassified and masked by the Defence Intelligence Division. However, the following Departmental process has to be followed before the requested records can be released or refused. 'The records have been referred to the Defence Legal Services Division (DLSD) for a legal recommendation. Thereafter, the records will be referred to the Chief of the South African National Defence Force for a recommendation with regards to the release or refusal of the requested records. 'Then the records will be submitted to the office of the Secretary for Defence for a final decision to release or refuse.' Hattingh said all his attempts to obtain the full report had been met with 'bureaucratic resistance and legal evasion. Even a direct appeal to Minister Angie Motshekga has failed to secure its release.' He has called on Parliament to establish an inquiry into the SANDF's 'ongoing practice of withholding vital information and failing to safeguard its own personnel'. DM
