Cape Town – On the one-year anniversary of the submarine SAS Manthatisi tragedy which claimed the lives of three naval officers, the buildings where they worked and trained were renamed after them during a commemorative ceremony where family, colleagues and role-players were present.
At Simon’s Town Naval base yesterday, Chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese also announced that naval officers who attempted to save the lives of their three colleagues would be receiving medals for bravery.
Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector, Warrant Officer William Malesela Mathipa and Warrant Officer Mokwapa Lucas Mojela, died during a storm when high waves impacted a vertical transfer exercise involving the South African Air Force Lynx helicopter and the SAS Manthatisi in Kommetjie on September 20, 2023.
The submarine was going to Cape Town. Seven crew members were swept out to sea during the incident, of whom four survived.
Members from the National Sea Rescue Institute and residents from the Kommetjie community were also invited to witness the unveiling following their heroic roles on the day and were thanked by Lobese. Lobese addressed the families who were called to the front where the unveiling of plaques and name boards were revealed.
“Gillian Marlouw Hector, William Malesela Mathipa and Mokwapa Lucas Mojela will live forever because they live in our memories, in our thoughts and in our prayers,” he said.
“Their lives were taken away so early away from us but we also acknowledge that they are looking at what we are doing and they are smiling. There have been lost of tears, pride and sadness during this past year.
“Our grief cannot compare to yours, you have lost a friend, a wife, a husband, a daughter, a son and a son-law. I am sure all of you have heard of the outcome of the board of inquiry.
“We understand that this process was quite long but we had to follow the correct process. There was no one responsible, at the end it was nature, working through the winds… it was nature who had the final say. When the witness statements were read it was very evident that the crew who risked their lives to try and save their lives, were also true heroes of the highest order.”
Lobese read out the names of the surviving officers who he said would be commended for their bravery with medals. Hector, who was the first woman officer to navigate a submarine in Africa and it was decided that the submarine training school would be renamed after her. It will be named the “Gillian Marlouw Hector – 1157 Submarine Training School”.
The families were taken to the individual buildings where each one’s name would be reflected on the site.
Captain Ipuseng Mathope explained that Hector’s submariner’s number, 1157, described that she was the 1157th naval officer to qualify as a submariner, which began its numbering process in 1970.
Hector’s aunt, Anita Marlouw, said they were proud of Gillian.
She was supporting Marlouw’s mother, Bernadette Marlouw.
“We are very honoured in the remembrance of Gillian,” she said.
Mathipha was named after the Fleet Maintenance Submarine Battery Hall where he had worked on the high-powered batteries used to power the submarines.
The building was renamed “Malesela Mathipa – 884 Submarine Battery Hall” and was proudly observed by his widow, Raseibe Germinah Mathipa.
Mojela was commemorated at his work warehouse which has been converted into office space.
Mojela’s widow, Molokwa Mojela, was too emotional to speak when approached by Weekend Argus.
Two weeks ago, in a detailed report shared with the media late last week, Lobese said equipment such as safety gear and the safety line and life jackets could not withstand the force of nature.
He explained that the Spring Tide weather of 2023 revealed that their safety line and harness was too long and the doctrine did not specify the length of the line in different evolutions.
He further explained it had never before been required to wear safety headgear during the man-overboard operations, but that they had learnt lessons now.
The life jackets had now been modernised to handle 270kg (with foul weather gear) and survive rough sea conditions, while the safety line was improved to ensure that it would not stretch and it would be capable of handling five members at the same time, Lobese said.
He added it would also be reduced to ensure that members would not be submerged when slipping from the casing.
