Susana
Leiataua, RNZ National Presenter
17 April
2025
There are calls for greater transparency about
what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it
sank in Samoa last October – including whether the New
Zealand warship was performing specific security for King
Charles and Queen Camilla.
The Manawanui grounded on
the reef off the south coast of Upolu in bad weather on 5
October 2024 before catching fire and sinking. Its 75 crew
and passengers were safely rescued.
The Court of
Inquiry’s final report released on 4 April 2025 found human
error and a long list of “deficiencies” grounded the $100
million vessel on the Tafitoala Reef south of Upolu, where
it caught fire and sank. Equipment including weapons and
ammunition continue to be removed from the vessel as its
future hangs in the balance.
The Court of Inquiry’s
report explains the Royal New Zealand Navy was asked by
“CHOGM Command” to conduct “a hydrographic survey of the
area in the vicinity of Sinalei whilst en route to Samoa”.
When it grounded on the Tafitoala Reef, the ship was
following orders received from Headquarters Joint Forces New
Zealand. The report incorrectly calls it the “Sinalei
Reef”.
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Sinalei is the name of the resort which hosted
King
Charles and Queen Camilla for CHOGM – the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting – which began in Samoa 19 days
after the Manawanui sank from 25-26 October 2024. The Royals
arrived two days before CHOGM began.
Speaking at the
release of the court’s final report, Chief of Navy Rear
Admiral Garin Golding described the Manawanui’s activity on
the south coast of Upolu.
“So the operation was done
in support of CHOGM – a very high-profile security activity
on behalf of a nation, so it wasn’t just a peace time
operation,” he said.
“It was done in what we call
rapid environmental assessment so we were going in and
undertaking something that we had to do a quick turn around
of that information so it wasn’t a deliberate high grade
survey. It was a rapid environmental assessment so it does
come with additional complexity and it did have an
operational outcome. It’s just um you know we we are
operating in complex environments.
“It doesn’t say
that we did everything right and that’s what the report
indicates and we just need to get after fixing those
mistakes and improving.”
The report explained the
Manawanui was tasked with “conducting the Sinalei survey
task” “to survey a defined area of uncharted waters.” But
Pacific Security Fellow at Victoria University’s Centre for
Strategic Studies at Victoria University Iati Iati questions
what is meant by “in support of the upcoming
CHOGM”.
“All we’ve been told in the report is that it
was to support CHOGM. What that means is unclear. I think
that needs to be explained. I think it also needs to be
explained to the Samoan people, who initiated this. Whether
it was just a New Zealand initiative. Whether it was done
for CHOGM by the CHOGM committee or whether it was something
that involved the Samoa government”, Iati said.
“So a
lot of the, you know, who was behind this and the what-for
questions haven’t been answered.”
Iati said CHOGM’s
organising committee includes representatives from Samoa as
well as New Zealand.
“But who exactly initiated that
additional task which I think is on paragraph 37 of the
report after the ship had sailed the extra task was then
confirmed. Who initiated that I’m not sure and I think that
needs to be explained. Why it was confirmed after the
sailing that also needs to be explained.
“In terms of
security, I guess the closest we can come to is the fact
that you know King Charles was staying on that side and
Sinalei Reef. It may have something to do with that but this
is just really unclear at the moment and I think all those
questions need to be addressed.”
The wreck of the
Manawanui lies 2.1 nautical miles – 3.89km – from the white
sandy beach of the presidential suite at Sinalei Resort
where King Charles and Queen Camilla stayed during
CHOGM.
Just over the fence from the Royals’ island
residence, Royal New Zealand Navy divers were coming and
going from the sunken vessel in the early days of their
recovery operation, and now salvors and the navy continue to
work from there.
AUT Law School professor Paul Myburgh
said the nature of the work the Manawanui was carrying out
when it ran aground on the reef has implications for
determining compensation for people impacted by its
sinking.
“Historically if it was a naval vessel that
was the end of the story. You could never be sued in normal
courts about anything that happened onboard a naval vessel.
But nowadays of course governmental vessels are often
involved in commercial activity as well,” he said.
“So
we now have what we call the restrictive theory of sovereign
immunity which states that if you are involved in commercial
or ordinary activity that is non-governmental you are
subject to the jurisdiction of the courts, so this is why
I’ve been wanting to get to the bottom of exactly what they
were doing.
“Who instructed whom and that sort of
thing. And it seems to me that in line with the findings of
the report all of this seems to have been done on a very
adhoc basis.”
RNZ first asked the New Zealand Defence
Force detailed questions on Friday, 11 April but it declined
to
respond.
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