CAPE TOWN-The brave men and women who tragically lost their lives in the submarine training accident two years ago were commemorated with a memorial wall on Saturday 20 September.
The memorial plaque, an initiative of the SA Navy, was unveiled at the SA Navy Submarine Museum in Simons Town to honour the families of the three submariners who died in the Kommetjie submarine tragedy in 2023.
The event also marked the second anniversary of the tragic accident when Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Elizabeth Hector, Warrant Officer (Class One) Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela and Master Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa died during a naval exercise in which a freak wave swept them off a submarine near Kommetjie on the 20th of September in 2023.
The gathering was attended by the relatives of all the fallen submariners.
Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, the Chief of the SA Navy, told the families their courage and strength in the face of such tragedy was inspiring and that their loss was felt by the entire nation and the SA Navy.
“These submariners embodied the principles of honour, courage, and commitment, and their memory will never diminish in our hearts. By being present here today, we not only remember their sacrifice to service, but our reaffirmed dedication to the principles for which they individually stood,” he explained.
The memorial plaque is a symbol to honour their bravery and commitment and acknowledges the dangers they got exposed to while working at the seafloor, he added.
“The plaque is also an educational device, teaching and reminding members of the public and visitors about the significance of the particular day and raising awareness and generating respect and admiration for the sacrifices that these sailors made in their service to our constitution and the people,” Lobese said.
In July this year, the Hawks (the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) confirmed that they were investigating the incident that cost the lives of the three submariners.
At that time, Hawks spokesperson Col Vukubi Siyabulela said the unit that investigates organised crime, financial crime and corruption has just started its investigation (“Hawks looking nto submarine tragedy”, People’s Post, 29 July).
“The investigation into this matter is still in its infancy, hence we cannot give any further details,” he explained.
A few months ago, Lobese, convened an inquiry into the incident.
The inquiry recommended safety upgrades, which include stronger harnesses, more current life jackets and protective headgear for naval exercises.
People’s Post enquired on the latest developments of the investigation but the Hawks could not respond before the time of publication.
