The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, has accepted the request to extend the Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the fatal incident out at sea which claimed the lives of three SA Navy sailors in September.
The BoI was expected to be completed this week.
Acting Senior Staff Officer for Navy Public Relations, Commander Theo Mabina, said the authorisation to postpone the outcome was agreed to.
“Following a fatal incident out at sea off Kommetjie near Cape Town on September 20 2023, that claimed the lives of three SA Navy sailors, a Board of Inquiry was instituted to investigate all events that led to the tragic incident,” he said.
“The BoI has requested an extension of the time allocated in order to successfully complete its work. The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, acceded to this request and has granted the requested extension.”
The BoI was expected to commence between October 11 2023 and yesterday.
Last week, the SA Navy revealed that the panel included four people. The names and ranks of these individuals have yet to be made public.
Days after the September tragedy, the SA Navy announced that a Board of Inquiry would be established. Mabina earlier said the outcome and the recommendations would be made public in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
The family of Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector said they were focusing on coming to terms with her death when Weekend Argus approached them last week.
Gillian’s husband, Romero, was also approached for comment about the inquiry but did not respond.
Days after the incident, Lobese said the SAS Manthatisi tragedy was caused due to mother nature following a freak wave.
Prior to the tragedy, the South African Weather Services indicated that spring tide had been experienced in Cape Town, with high swells reaching metres, damaging cars, homes, infrastructure and businesses.
The Executive Officer (XO), Lieutenant-Commander Hector, was the first woman to navigate a submarine. The coxswain, Master Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa, and the coxswain under training, Warrant Officer Class 1 Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela, all lost their lives tragically in this incident.
The submarine was en-route to Cape Town while conducting a vertical transfer (VERTREP) by means of an SA Air Force Maritime Lynx helicopter when high waves swept seven crew members out to sea.
Warrant Officer in Charge of Submarine Escape Training Simulator, Brendan Daly, who was also the safety swimmer from the helicopter, jumped into the water to assist, the head of section electrical department, Warrant Officer Ayanda Mahlobo, and the head of department detection, Warrant Officer Charles Kriel.
The injured members were Officer Commanding, Commander Charles Nkolo Phokane and the weapons officer, Lieutenant Melinyani Gobinca.