SA Navy bids farewell to chief in parade

ABOUT 300 members of the navy bid farewell to vice-Admiral Mosiwa Hlongwane as he officially retired after serving eight years as chief of the SA Navy. A “change of command” parade was held in Simon’s Town to hand over the navy to the incoming chief, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese.

Lebose, from New Brighton in Gqeberha, held various appointments both at sea and on shore.

Hlongwane was born on July 6, 1962 in Frankfort, Free State, but grew up in Vaal Triangle in Bophelong township in Vanderbijl Park.

Both have received numerous awards for outstanding service in the navy but Lebose inherits a huge challenge to get navy ships and submarines back at sea as the entity struggles, through limited budget constraints, to properly patrol South Africa’s waters.

Hlongwane said the continent relied heavily on the sea and as things stood, 96% of South Africa’s imports and exports (in terms of tonnage) moved by sea, adding to that, 80% of South Africa’s trade in terms of monetary value moved by sea.

“Additionally, 95% of South Africa’s crude oil imports come via the sea, and lastly, over 55% of South Africa’s GDP is generated by maritime trade.”

If the status quo remained unchanged, in few years, Hlongwane said that the SA Navy would be harbour bound.

Lobese said that his key focus area was to take the navy back to sea as it had been on the sidelines for some time now – not because of a lack of will, but due to lack of financial resources.

“With the little resources we are allocated, we will do our utmost best to maintain our vessels, ships and submarines to provide the maritime defence we need for the country,” Lobese said.

The traditional parade gave members of the navy the opportunity to thank Hlongwane for the strides he made while chief. It included numerous cultural procedures of the defence force such marching, music and the handover of the telescope from outgoing chief Hlongwane to the incoming chief Lebose.

Hlongwane said the realisation of both Project Biro and Hotel were major highlights in his career as chief. Project Biro was the acquisition of the three multimission-inshore patrol vessels.

Project Hotel aims to capacitate the SA Navy hydrographic capability by replacing the ageing SAS Protea with a hydrographic survey vessel and three survey motor boats as well as upgrading the South African naval hydrographic office production system.