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Daily Maverick
9 hours ago
- 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
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Defence Minister Motshekga under scrutiny for SANDF withdrawal chaos
Defence and Military Veterans of South Africa Minister Angie Motshekga to be scrutinised over SANDF's disorganised exit from DRC peacekeeping mission Image: IOL/Independent Newspapers The Democratic Alliance (DA) has unveiled its intention to scrutinise Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga over what it characterises as a 'chaotic and poorly planned' withdrawal of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a statement issued on Wednesday, DA Defence & Military Veterans Spokesperson Chris Hattingh stated that the party will raise these concerns during the upcoming parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, which is scheduled for May 9. On Wednesday, South African military contingents began preparations to withdraw from the DRC following the signing of a landmark peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. As the lead nation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission in the DRC, South Africa has played a pivotal role in efforts to restore peace amid ongoing conflict. However, the DA has raised serious concerns about the manner of the SANDF's withdrawal, describing it as "chaotic and poorly coordinated." The party notes that Parliament and the public have been kept in the dark about this mission's conclusion. Disorganised Exit Raises Alarm The DA said it intends to use the upcoming committee meeting to question Minister Motshekga about the deployment and withdrawal of SANDF troops. 'Poor planning, vague objectives, and a disturbing lack of transparency have marred the withdrawal of South African troops from eastern DRC. 'What should have been a coordinated and strategic exit has instead become a confused and dangerous process—risking the safety of our soldiers and raising more questions than answers,' Hattingh said. The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which SADC officially terminated in March, is now withdrawing from strategic areas such as Goma and Sake—regions where South African forces remained after deadly clashes in January. Lack of Transparency and On-the-Ground Reports The DA raised concerns about a lack of transparency, stating that, to date, Parliament has received no official briefing on the withdrawal, and public awareness remains limited. The party said there are reports that SANDF troops and Tanzanian and Malawian forces are withdrawing via Rwanda to Tanzania. 'Alarmingly, accounts suggest that M23 rebels—widely believed to be backed by Rwanda—are inspecting military equipment as convoys pass through. 'Members of the elite Quick Reaction Force (QRF) have described the experience as "frustrating and humiliating." Furthermore, the party said there has been no official communication from the Department of Defence, SANDF, or SADC regarding the withdrawal process. 'It has emerged that safe passage for South African troops was negotiated with Rwanda after M23 seized control of key infrastructure, leaving many soldiers uncertain about their safety. 'Soldiers also continue to report logistical failures, poor communication, and concerns over the status of military vehicles and heavy weaponry.' Hattingh highlighted that the situation is exacerbated by the loss of 14 South African soldiers during the Battle for Goma in January. Questions for Minister Motshekga During the May committee meeting, Hattingh said his party plans to pose several urgent questions to Minister Motshekga, including:
Reuters
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South Africa's military reinforces beleaguered Congo mission
Summary Fourteen South African soldiers have died in fighting Pretoria has deployed 700-800 additional troops to Congo Deployment comes amid fears of regional war JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Africa has sent additional troops and military equipment to Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days, political and diplomatic sources said, after 14 of its soldiers were killed in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels last month. The South African reinforcement comes amid fears that fighting in eastern Congo could spark a broader war in a powderkeg region that has over the past three decades witnessed genocide, cross-border conflicts and dozens of uprisings. Flight data reviewed by Reuters showed transport aircraft flying from South Africa to Lubumbashi, in southern Congo. An airport employee there confirmed that military planes had landed last week. "We have been informed of a (South African National Defence Force) troop build-up in the area of Lubumbashi. We gather that approximately 700-800 soldiers had been flown to Lubumbashi," Chris Hattingh, a South African lawmaker, wrote in a text message to Reuters. Hattingh, the defence spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance, a member of the governing coalition, said it was "difficult to figure out what is exactly unfolding" because parliament's defence committee had not been briefed. The SANDF spokesperson said on Friday he was not aware of the deployment to Lubumbashi and declined to comment further on Monday. A Congolese army spokesperson said he could not confirm or deny the deployment. Lubumbashi is about 1,500 km (930 miles) south of Goma, the eastern city on Rwanda's border that the M23 rebels seized last month during an offensive that has killed over 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. South Africa is believed to have around 3,000 troops deployed in Congo, both as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission and a Southern African regional force tasked with helping Congo's army combat the M23 insurgency. 'NOT OUR WAR' Its intervention has drawn heavy criticism at home after the fall of Goma left South African soldiers surrounded and with no clear exit strategy. "They're extremely poorly resourced and equipped," said Kobus Marais, who served as the DA's shadow defence minister before the party entered a governing coalition last year. "This is not our war." Marais, now a defence analyst who said he was being kept abreast of the situation, said the flights to Lubumbashi carried medicine, ammunition and consumables. The additional troops were to assist in the case of further clashes and as a deterrent as negotiations to end the fighting get underway. An IL-76 cargo plane with the tail number EX-76008 made five round-trip flights from Pretoria to Lubumbashi between January 30 and February 7, according to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24. The flights left from the south side of Pretoria, where the South African air force has a base. An employee in Lubumbashi airport told Reuters on Saturday that he had seen several rotations of aircraft bringing troops and equipment. Three diplomats and a minister from a country in the region said they were aware of the deployment. With M23 rebels controlling Goma's airport, South African troops there are cut off from resupplies. "The pattern of chartered cargo flights under SANDF callsigns from South Africa to both Lubumbashi and locations inside (neighbouring) Burundi points to the likely creation of some type of additional contingency force," said a defence expert who asked not to be named. Two successive wars in the 1990s and 2000s grew out of the Rwandan genocide, drawing in a half dozen of Congo's neighbours and killing millions, mainly through hunger and disease. Uganda and Burundi, which already have thousands of troops in eastern Congo, are also reinforcing their positions. Rwanda rejects accusations that thousands of its troops are fighting alongside M23, while African leaders have urged the parties to hold talks.
