M A Y 2 0 1 2 • S A S O L D I E R - Department of Defence

2012 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RChief of the SA Navy receives Honorary DoctorateArticle and photo by WO2 M. Moraile,PRO Naval Station DurbanThe Chief of the SA Navy, V AdmJohannes Mudimu, received anHonorary Doctorate from theDurban University of Technology on19 April 2012. This is one of the highesthonours a university can bestow on aperson. A council of academics comestogether to decide on such a deservingindividual.An Honorary Doctorate is alifetime achievement and must betreated as such. The SA Navy isprivileged to have the leadership ofV Adm Mudimu. In his acceptancespeech, the Chief of the SA Navy mademention of many strong leaders whogave hope to their fellow countrymenand women, for example Napoleonand Doctor Nelson Mandela.The first black Officer Commanding ofa submarineArticle and photo courtesySA Navy Public RelationsDepartmentThe Chief of the SA Navy, V Adm Johannes Mudimu, received anHonorary Doctorate from Mr David Hellinger, the Registrar of theDurban University of Technology.The SA Navy and members of themedia were there to witness CdrThamsanqa “Handsome” Matsanebeing sworn in as the first blackofficer to assume Command of a Type209 submarine, SAS Queen ModjadjiI, in the naval dockyard at Simon’sTown on 26 April 2012.Cdr Matsane or “Handsome” ashe is affectionately known to mostof the naval members enlisted in theSA Navy in 1998 and completed hisMilitary Training for Officers Part1 in December 1998. Cdr Matsanewent on to complete his Bachelorin Military Science degree throughthe University of Stellenbosch at theMilitary Academy in Saldanha. Hehas completed all military coursesrequired to assume the command ofa naval submarine.In 2007 Cdr Matsane joined theSubmarine Squadron and qualifiedas a submariner. Eventually he wasappointed as Operations Officer ofthe SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE.He was the Executive Officer of SAS34-year-old Cdr Thamsanqa “Handsome” Matsane took command ofSAS QUEEN MODJADJI I during a ceremony at Simons’s Town on26 April 2012.CHARLOTTE MAXEKE until 26 April2012 when he officially took commandof the SAS QUEEN MODJADJI I.According to Cdr Matsane thehighlight of his career was when hesailed in a number of yacht regattas,including the Cape to Rio race in 2003and the four months he spent on thesailing ship B.E. Esmeralda on its roundthe world voyage from Chile. He wasmentored by the Skipper, John Martin.Interviewed by Naval BaseCorporate Communications, CdrMatsane boasted: “I am not good atlanguages, but give me any numbersto solve and I will always have asolution”. This illustrate why he wasthe best student in the mathematicsclass during the three years he spentat the Military Academy. Cdr Matsanespeaks proudly of his grandmother,his other mentor.M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 41