A damning report, a top military judge and bickering naval officers inside a condemned court building where baboons raid at will: the Simon's Town trial of Lieutenant-Commander Vulani Mangolele is fast turning into a major military embarrassment.
Mangolele, the technical support and services manager at the base's systems support centre, was put in the dock this week for allegedly repeatedly bunking night duty at the Silvermine naval facility.
However, he has turned what should have been a low-key affair into a show trial: he has subpoenaed a fleet of top brass as defence witnesses and claims the charges were in retaliation for a damning report he wrote on the state of naval infrastructure.
Mangolele is also opposing a separate high court application to evict him from his naval accommodation, on the grounds that he qualifies only for smaller single quarters since separating from his wife and 12-year-old son. He claims he is still involved in a custody battle. And he has been accused of sporting a stylised beard.This week, Mangolele testified he was being unfairly victimised. "What is it that the state wishes to achieve by prosecuting [me] with such a frivolous charge sheet at the expense of the organisation and [my] wellbeing?" read his opening statement before senior military judge Riaan Combrink.
He cross-examined state witnesses who conceded that the Silvermine duty roster was in disarray. Two of them acknowledged they had never been called to testify against somebody who had missed night duty, despite having reported several such cases.
Testimony also revealed the parlous state of Silvermine, a national key point. The officer of the day's duty cabin does not have a working telephone, and officers did not always report for duty, the court heard.
In a letter to Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, seen by the Sunday Times, Mangolele claimed his life was in danger, and he was being prevented from presenting his report.
"It is not [my] intention to air the dirty laundry of the [Department of Defence] but to assist the entire DOD in waking up and working towards its dreams ..." He wrote that he hoped to help Mapisa-Nqakula end "the victimisation of the champions of change" to the benefit of the SANDF.
Senior officers due to appear at the tribunal include Rear Admiral (junior grade) David Mkhonto, director of fleet logistics, and maritime warfare director Rear Admiral junior grade Douglas Faure...