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Contents Wie is ons? / Who are we? ......................................................................................... 5

Legalities .................................................................................................................... 6

To all future correspondents ................................................................................... 6

Welcome/ Welkom ..................................................................................................... 6

A Point to Ponder / Oordenking .................................................................................. 6

Erfnisdag / Heritage Day: The Destruction of History? ............................................... 7

SAPS Memorial: Hennie Heymans ............................................................................ 8

We will remember them! Ons sal hulle onthou ......................................................... 10

Ons gasheer: Rus en Vrede.................................................................................. 14

Oud-SAP-welsyn ...................................................................................................... 15

Tweedehandse klere: Pretoria .............................................................................. 16

Die Jaarlikse Oud-SAP-Lede Liefdadigheidstrust se Skaapbraai ............................. 17

Moet nie die Vloties vergeet nie: Hulle braai ook! ................................................. 21

So Braai mens ‘n ribbetjie: Willie du Plessis ............................................................. 21

Vleis- en kaaiingbrood: Dalene Steenkamp ............................................................. 23

Why SA needs specialised detective units: Johan Burger........................................ 24

Railway Police: Grant Fryer & Brandon Stow ........................................................... 27

Have look at this German police locomotive: BR 101 Bundespolizei mit Intercity

Zug in Wanne-Eickel HBF: .................................................................................... 27

South African Constabulary: Railway Coach......................................................... 28

The True face of Misinterpreted Russian Foreign Policy: Joel Obengo (Kenya) ...... 28

Correspondence Received ....................................................................................... 34

Craig Fourie (Durban): Stolen Medals .................................................................. 34

Robert Suberg: Stolen Medals .............................................................................. 34

Major theft of Medals from Talana Museum : Paul du Preez ................................ 38

Paul Du Preez to Hennie Heymans 13 October at 09:19 ...................................... 38

Twin Mosia: Photographs ..................................................................................... 40

Twin Mosia sent us the following photographs of the stolen medals ..................... 40

Poësie: MJJ van Rensburg (SALM) ......................................................................... 46

Die Middelmannetjie ............................................................................................. 46

Die Oorlog ............................................................................................................. 47

Dreyer van der Merwe: Commercial Farmers .......................................................... 48

News & Analysis: Property rights: Boere need to make a plan: F Cronje IRR ..... 48

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Gevaarlike Spinnekop: Piet “Walk Tall” van Zyl .................................................... 56

Oranje-wit-en-blou: Nico Lamprecht ..................................................................... 57

BSAP: Terry Schwartz .......................................................................................... 60

Anglo Boer War: Australian Aborigines ................................................................. 60

Bokser: Hennie de Beer: Elize Knoetze ................................................................ 62

Nostalgie ............................................................................................................... 63

South African Police Hall of Fame ............................................................................ 66

My eerste grensdiens: Oos-Caprivi: Katima Mulilo vanaf 5-01-1972 tot 04-1972:

Caper Steyn .......................................................................................................... 68

Kingsley Holgate: Hennie Heymans ..................................................................... 72

Kapt JJ van Rooyen: JJ van Rooyen .................................................................... 72

JJ van Rooyen14 October at 15:26 · Cape Town ................................................. 72

1985: Durban SAP XV: JJ van Rooyen ................................................................. 73

Kapt JJ van Rooyen (60) ...................................................................................... 75

Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit / Internal Stability Division: Gavin Tischendorf .... 78

Draped SAP Coffins ........................................................................................... 79

Col Alwyn Lesch: Most popular posting: 366 “hits” & stil going stron .................... 80

Sgt Lucas Majozi DCM : Dolf de Bruin .................................................................. 80

Polisie Mag: Kobus Botha ..................................................................................... 82

“AP” Stemmet : HTSK: Sekretariaat van die Staatsveiligheidsraad ......................... 85

Genl Constant Viljoen ............................................................................................... 89

Justisie: Bert Parsons: “AP” Stemmet ................................................................... 90

Benjamin Joubert Parsons: Justisie ...................................................................... 90

Boek: Trou tot die Dood: Genl Johan van der Merwe .............................................. 91

Generaal Colin Steyn: Dawn Kellerman ................................................................ 93

Koevoet Story: Marius Brand ................................................................................... 95

Stokperdjies: Dasse met Embleme: Koot Swanepoel .............................................. 99

SAAF Chopper Boys 1964 - 1989: Jan Blackie ...................................................... 101

Begrafnis: Hajon Cronje: Jan Blackie .................................................................. 101

1920 – 1995: SAAF: The Pride of the Nation ...................................................... 101

Chopper Ops: Allan Neill ..................................................................................... 104

Garth Calitz: Alo lll over Swartkops SAAF Memorial ........................................... 106

Chopper Emblem: Jan Blackie ............................................................................ 107

Stephan John: Sikorsky S64 Skycrane ............................................................... 109

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Alfie Wurth - SAAF Alo III. ................................................................................... 110

Allan Neill ............................................................................................................ 110

Genl Basson ....................................................................................................... 111

Vernuftige speurwerk… .......................................................................................... 113

Onbekende vliegtuig: Cheeta? Johannes Botha ................................................. 115

Die Zarps op Parade: Johannes Botha .................................................................. 115

Kol Mike Du Toit: Staatsartillerie, Geheime Politie, OVS Politie en ZAP ............. 116

Hoofde van die SAW/SANW – Chiefs of the SADF/SANDF: Ryno Human ........ 119

Commissioners of Police: Ryno Human .............................................................. 120

Koerantberig: Om oor te dink .............................................................................. 121

Another point to Ponder... ................................................................................... 122

Ring Gun - not bad for 19th century .................................................................... 122

Genl “Sterkhans” Dreyer ........................................................................................ 123

Oupa JJ van der Merwe: Dreyer van der Merwe .................................................... 124

Onthou u nog? Daan van der Watt ..................................................................... 125

Grusaam: De Wet Potgieter ................................................................................ 125

Oor Nongqai se drumpel ..................................................................................... 129

Agent 407: De Wet Potgieter .................................................................................. 129

Olivia- the sad little drummer girl ......................................................................... 129

Comments: Col (Ret) Craig Williamson .............................................................. 134

Polmed: Kol Gideon Serfontein .............................................................................. 138

Army Signals in South Africa: Walter Volker .......................................................... 139

Grensdiens in 1968 ............................................................................................. 139

Eerste Rugbywedstryd op die Grens .................................................................. 139

Formele Ete met die “Bosgod” ............................................................................ 140

Vrye Tyd en Sports ............................................................................................. 140

Inwyding van die Hospitaal by Katima Mulilo ...................................................... 140

Legendariese Sportman en Speurder Basie Sadie (Durban) ................................. 141

Contact details / kontakbesonderhede ................................................................... 142

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Your national security history magazine without malice.

U nasionale veiligheidsgeskiedenistydskrifsonder kwaadwilligheid.

Om die verlede te bewaar sonder om in die verlede te leef.

To preserve the past without living the past.

Wie is ons? / Who are we? We are an informal group of police and defence veterans who would like to foster an interest in South Africa’s police, defence and national security history from 1652 with cut-off-date 1994; when the new South Africa came into being. We only tell and explain what we did; for we were the “on the spot” eyewitnesses! In fact we are the ones you saw on TV and in the news reels of the time following orders from parliament.

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However we have to debate the incidents because our memory is fallible as we grow older. In the terms of the day "we earned the T-shirt and right to tell our stories for you to enjoy with malice towards none." In the suburbs we see so many gardeners wearing those T-shirts! We all can learn from the past.

Legalities This publication is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in

policing/ national security or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Readers should

take legal and other advice before applying the information contained in this

publication to specific issues or transactions.

The eNongqai contains various and sundry personal opinions of different

correspondents and neither the compiler of eNongqai nor eNongqai will be held

responsible for any of their comments which is entirely their own and not necessarily

that of eNongqai or its publishers.

To all future correspondents

This condition must be placed at the end of your article: "The author of this article shall indemnify and hold harmless eNongqai and its publishers from any and all third-party claims, proceedings, actions, expenses, and damages (including attorney fees) in connection with a breach or alleged breach of the representations and warranties made in this article."

This is not a literary magazine, but a magazine by and for veterans of the SA Security Forces; we want to capture the words and moods as written by our former veterans.

Our languages are Afrikaans and English

Welcome/ Welkom A hearty word of welcome to one and all!

We trust that you will enjoy the magazine

and please free welcome to visit our

website. Photographs and articles

welcome.

Baie welkom – ons hoop u sal die tyd-

skriffie geniet. Besoek ook gerus ons

webtuiste! Ou foto’s, herinneringe en

artikels is welkom.

A Point to Ponder / Oordenking

A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. Father being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and trousers.

Others diners watched him in disgust while his son was calm.

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After he finished eating, his son who was not at all embarrassed, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his spectacles firmly. When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and started walking out with his father.

At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, "Don't you think you have left something behind?"

The son replied, "No sir, I haven't".

The old man retorted, "Yes, you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father".

The restaurant went silent.

Erfnisdag / Heritage Day: The Destruction of History? Ek het op wikipedia gaan kyk wat is "Heritage Day" in Suid-Afrika nou eintlik.

Erfenisdag is 'n futlose oefening en 'n doellose dag - 'n vakansiedag wat 'n land soos

Suid-Afrika glad nie kan bekostig nie. Dis 'n mors van tyd en knou die ekonomie.

Waar is die politieke leierskap vandag en wat is die politieke boodskap? Ironies is

ons erfnis is juis onder bedreiging.

Waarom voel ek dis tydmors:

- Wel kyk, ou Cecil John Rhodes was geen vriend van ons "Boere" nie, sy

standbeeld is weggeneem by UCT.

- Ou koningin Victoria se standbeeld is beskadig, dis die nuus gister.

- Einste CJ Rhodes, sy neus is op 'n ander erfnisbeeld afgesny.

- Die perdestandbeeld in Oos-Londen is ook verwoes....

- Die ou Engelse koning by die Universiteit van Natal (Durban) se standbeeld is ook

beskadig.

- O'Niel se kothuis daar by Majuba is beskadig.....

- Pres SJP Kruger se ou plaashuis by Boekenhoutfontein was 'n paar jaar gelede toe

ek daar was in 'n swak toestand - dit is in skrille kontras met die ou VSA

presidentshuis te Mt Vernon in Washington.

- Die Helde Akker? (Watter helde?) Grafte by die helde akker is beskadig en van alle

metaal gestroop.

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- Die SAP-TIN-beeldegroep wat by Maleoskop gestaan het en na Pretoria verskuif is,

se arms is afgekap.

- "My" SAP-monument, EK WAS 'N BYDRAER en dus aandeelhouer, geleë suid-

oosteklike hoek, Uniegebou se SAP-kentekens is verwyder - SONDER OM MY OF

ENIGE SAP-LID TE RAADPLEEG en is vervang met die SAPS se kenteken! Dis nou

my erfnis wat beroof word!

- Die vlag waaronder ek geveg het, gedien het, wat ek daaglik gehys en gestryk het

(VB inskrywing tot die effek gemaak) en wat die stoflike oorskot van my kollegas

bedek het - MAG ek glad nie huldig nie. Sekere mense het die vlag misbruik en

vandag is die vlag erger as rooivlag vir 'n Jerseybul!

- Spoorwegstasies is geplunder...

- Ou Stoomlokomotiewe by stasies verkeer in ‘n haglike toestand...

- Inspekteur die beelde by die Uniegebou, kyk hoeveel is onder die oë van die wagte

gestroop, die name van gesneuwelde soldate is verwyder ...

Quo Vadis. Is ek trots om ‘n Suid-Afrikaner te wees? Is ek trots om ‘n Afrikaner te

kan wees? Is ons mense wat ons taal en kultuur waardig kan wees? Kan ek met ‘n

skoon gewete gaan braai terwyl my erfgoed onder bedreiging is?

Gee my dan rugby sodat ek kan ontvlug. Rugby was onder sanksies en nou kan ek

oënskynlik my kultuur bevorder en uitleef. (Ek mag nie die beste span kies nie.)

Maar solank ek my afgod Ragabus by Loftus onder verdowing kan verheerlik is ek

“okei” en “worry” ek nie verder oor my erfnis nie want dis eintlik ‘n “amazing” dag om

te gaan braai.... ons kap ‘n klomp doppe weg en “worry” more verder ...

Dink wanneer u braai waaroor alles eintlik gaan ....

SAPS Memorial: Hennie Heymans Below is the Memorial of the former South African Police Force (1913 –1994) which

has been taken over by the South African Police Service (from 1995) guarded by

private security persons on the south-eastern corner of the gardens at the Union

Building.

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I have wondering about a few issues:

1. Ceremonial: With the large numbers of visitors visiting the Union Buildings,

many tour busses are evident; why not install a 24 hr ceremonial guard? This

will enhance tourism, especially around the Union Buildings. (I have seen

similar ceremonial parades in Washington, DC and in Taiwan.) We owe it to

those who brought the highest offer.

2. Crime: Crime is South Africa is endemic. I have inspected some busts in the

gardens at the Union Buildings and many brass/copper plaques are removed.

Even one “Roll of Honour” was stolen. (It has since been replaced.) With the

large SAPS Guard Force one would think that thieves would give the Union

Buildings a wide berth! Do the police really prevent crime in the vicinity of the

Union Buildings?

3. Anthropological: Having read social anthropology; I have been wondering

about the role of “magic, religion, witchcraft, ancestral spirits etc” and the role

such play in our society and police service. Policemen of all races and creeds,

“apartheid” police, Koevoet-police, Vlakplaas- and Security members are

remembered there. Their names are there for all to see. (But not of the other

ten forces which became part of SAPS in 1995. So what about them?) The

late president PW Botha unveiled the SAP Memorial to the public. Today MK

and other SAPS-members are remembered here. I just wonder what happens

in the afterlife where; and when all these spirits meet at the annual

remembrance ceremony? I think there is a clash of vested interests. Any

medicine man or isangoma will tell you that!

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4. Equality: The SAPS have taken over our SAP-memorial but the names of our

members are excluded at Freedom Park. Smells like discrimination to me. Are

we treated equal?

We will remember them! Ons sal hulle onthou 10 Oktober was altyd Heldedag in die “ou” Suid-Afrika. Op 7 Oktober 2015 het ‘n

paar oudlede van die polisiemag hul maandelikse braai by Peet en Daniela Snyman

se hoewe, “Rus en Vrede”, waar hulle ‘n ontspanningsgerief bedryf, gehou.

‘n Hele aantal lede het opgedaag en Abrie Grobler was die braai-sersant-majoor en

het die manne en vroue aangetree. Hy het spesiaal sy ou SAP-AO-uniform

aangetrek en was bitter kwaai. Regte “Maleoskop-styl”. ‘n Vlaghysingsparade is

gehou – die ou SAP-vlag is deur Herman le Roux gehys. Adriaan Vlok was ook

teenwoordig en het ‘n paar treffende woorde aan die aanwesiges gerig.

Ons het ‘n paar oomblikke diep gedink aan ons makkers wat ons langs die pad

verloor het, t.w. sers Rodney Fall, konst Danie du Toit, sers Tjaart Riekert, kapt

Bonnie van Eeden en kol Bobbie Welman. Ons sal ons makkers nooit vergeet nie!

Ons sal hulle altyd onthou! (U sal merk dat almal van Durban is.) Behalwe Bobbie

Welman was almal van die eerste SAP-lede om die hoogste tol op die grens te

betaal.

Herman le Roux het sommer dadelik die tafel gebed gedoen en die braai-sers-maj

het die bevel gegee: “Na jul ontspanningsdienste, Offisier op Parade, verdaag!”

Pas na die verdaging word ek (HBH) vir my sakboek gevra en omdat ek dit nie kon

toon nie met R50-00 beboet.

Hier is ‘n paar foto’s van die “heldedag-parade”:

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Ons as oudlede van die Mag het gereeld by die Fonteine gebraai totdat Peet en

Daniela ons genooi het om ons basis by hul goed toegeruste oord te vestig. Dinsdae

in Pretoria is “pensioners day” en ons braai, DV, een maal per maand by “Rus en

Vrede” – alles word voorsien behalwe drank. Anders met die Fonteine is die toilette

naby geleë. Ons het selfs ‘n vlagpaal om tydens spesiale geleenthede die “ou”

polisievlag te hys – sonder om aanstoot te gee.

Ander foto’s geneem tydens die geselligheid op 7 Oktober 2015:

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Van links na regs: Dawn Kellerman, Jaco Holtshauzen (Bloutrein masjinis), Adriaan

Vlok, Willie du Plessis en Chris van Ginkel.

Van links na regs: Jaco Holtshauzen, Frans Kloppers, Peter Lamb, Eugene Smit,

HBH en Terry Schwartz.

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Adriaan Vlok en Pierre Coetzer

Vlnr: Adriaan Vlok en Laurette Jones en Danielia Snyman en Adriaan Vlok.

Behalwe om sosiaal te verkeer, het die SAP-braaivleis-groepie ook ‘n

welsynsdoelwit. (Ons is op Faceboek). Gedurende die braai word daar spontaan

fondse ingesamel en sonder omhaal van woorde aan lede in die knyp gegee. Ons

almal doen dit uit dankbaarheid. Fondse is by twee geleenthede geskenk om die

Maleoskop-beelde te herstel maar ons hoofdoel is ‘n maatskaplike een.

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Ons gasheer: Rus en Vrede

Peet Snyman

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Ons gasvrou, Danielia Snyman, afgeneem met genl JJ Viktor en sy spoggerige

sonbril wat hy weens mediese redes dra.

Oud-SAP-welsyn Wat ‘n wonderlike voorreg!

Inderdaad behoort u en ek aan ‘n eksklusiewe groep mense, dit is die mense wat

lank gelede trou gesweer het aan die mense van Suid-Afrika.

Ek het lank gewonder waar en wanneer is die saadjie van barmhartigheid gelê?

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Die saadjie is gedurende 1964 in die SAP-kollege gelê deur streng militariste met ‘n

“vonkel” in die oog. Ja, op 17-jaar oud, voordat ek aan trou gedink het of gedink het

aan ‘n weduwee of ‘n wese MOES ons bydraers tot Weduwee-en Wesefonds van

die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiemag word. Geen keuse in die SAP - dis deel van jou

“tiende”... jy gee uit dankbaarheid, het my Vader my geleer.

Na ‘n redelike hardepad het my groep rekrute na die eerste semester uitpasseer. Ek

was ‘n beredeman en ek het ‘n karbonkel onder my arm gehad. In die een hand ‘n

.303 geweer en in die ander hand leisels. Elke beweging van die perd se kop het

pyne deur my liggaam gestuur MAAR ek het uitpasseer en anderkant uitgekom. Die

res van die hele kollege het op die paviljoen ons uitpasering gade geslaan – ons was

sewe troepe van 36 man elk. Sers Lesch was vir die dag ‘n AO en het die parade as

sers-majoor waargeneem.

Toe ons so afry van die paradegrond toe sing al die manne op die paviljoen onder

leiding van maj Bradley (SAP-orkes) “Bly by my Heer” en “Aud lyne Sange” ... my oë

het vol trane geskiet ... Sulke kameraderie in ‘n harde manne wêreld! Ek dink daar is

die saadjie van barmhartigheid en “omgee” gelê .... en in my ganse loopbaan het ek

gesien hoe relatief arm polisiemanne altyd ‘n oophand het wanneer ander in nood

verkeer. Baie keer was dit kinders, kinders wat weggeloop het van die huis, mense

in nood wat uit radeloosheid by die polisie om hulp aangeklop het ... in die “ou” dae

het die polisie, veral die sersant, altyd raad gehad ... Die hoed was baie keer

omgestuur om nood te verlig ... selfs in eie geledere.

My raad aan oudkollegas is behoort aan ‘n polisie-vereniging of polisie-instelling.

Geen mens kan op sy eie voortbestaan nie.

Ek het bewus geraak van nood onder polisiemense en net gewonder wat kan ek

doen? Ons leef in onverskillige en harde wêreld. Watter verskil kan ek VANDAG aan

‘n polisiemens se lewe doen? Daar is letterlik tientalle instellings wat kan help, maar

ek wou in die eerste plek aan ‘n vereniging van kamerade behoort wat soos ridders

van oud met die “wit perd” opdaag en sonder rompslomp of basuingeklank ‘n verskil

in oudkollegas se lewe kan maak.

Ons het gister (7 Oktober 2015) weer so gemaak en meer as R800 ingesamel en dit

is ‘n verdienstelike geval dadelik, tot Sy eer aangewend. Ek het ‘n pragtige SMS van

die polisie-gesin ontvang.

Word deel van die “A”-span en ondersteun ons makkers in nood.

Tweedehandse klere: Pretoria

Vriende ek vra asb goeie tweedehandse klere – plaas dit in ‘n swartsak met u naam

en tel no daarin. Dit gaan na genl Bertus Steyn hy help behoeftige volksgenote. Ons

het manne en vroue wat werk kry, maar wat nie oor ordentlike klere beskik nie. Maak

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‘n slag daai kaste skoon en skenk van u siviele klere wat u in elk geval met u

kleretoelaag gekoop het. Bertus sal u persoonlik bedank.

Die Jaarlikse Oud-SAP-Lede Liefdadigheidstrust se Skaapbraai Op 17 Oktober 2015 het lede, hoofsaaklik van die veiligheidstak, weer bymekaar

gekom om die dag weet te geniet. Om vriende wat mens na 20 en 30 jaar weer

raakloop is verblydend. Ons het almal iets ingemeen: Ons het aansienlik ouer

geword.

Vlnr: Eugene de Kock, Vick McPhearson, Glenn Elsden, Fred Kellerman, genl Johan

van der Merwe en HBH, almal in ‘n vreeslike gesellige luim.

Craig Williamson en genl Johan Viktor

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Tiny Nortje en Tienie Bosman – twee “ou” vriende.

Johan Visagè, genl Johan Viktor en Toffie Risk

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Anemari Jansen en Terry King (albei skrywers), Eugene, Craig en Vick – die vier

mans was almal van die veiligheidstak.

Twee “ou” Soweto-speurders: Gideon Serontein en genl Johan Viktor (gewese

ASO).

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Net een woord: Ysters!

Die “rokers” waaronder vier Bosman’s - het later hul eie groepie buite gevorm.

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Moet nie die Vloties vergeet nie: Hulle braai ook!

So Braai mens ‘n ribbetjie: Willie du Plessis

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Ou Willie het bietjie deurgery van Standerton om vir ons Pretorianers te wys hoe

mens nou eintlik ‘n lamribbetjie braai.

23

Vleis- en kaaiingbrood: Dalene Steenkamp

Daar diep uit die Kalahari skryf ons vriendin op 16 Oktober 2015: Vleis en kaiing brood ... NIE vir die wie kyk na gewig en cholesterol nie.

You, Vick McPherson, Koot Swanepoel, Marius Morland and 8 others like this.

Comments

Robert Brand Gelukkig betaal Polmed vir cholesterol pille....

Hennie Heymans Ek maak nogal baie kaiings - stuur asb daai resep - ek wil tog beprobeer ...

Dalene Steenkamp

Oom Hennie .... al my resepte is ‘n roerby bou bedryf.

1kg broodmeel van eie keuse

1pakkie kits suurdeeg

2t sout

250g bruinsuiker

Kaiings soveel soos jy wil gemeng met maalvleis as jy wil en gooi sommer nog ñ

guitige skeut kaas by as jy wil. Roer als deurmekaar.

Genoeg lou warm water of melk as jy wil om ‘n slapperige deeg te vorm ... dis ‘n

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roerby resep ... hy word nie geknie nie.

Smeer panne, skep in, laat rys en bak ongeveer vir ‘n uur by 1800 C

Hennie Heymans Maklik ek sal die brood bak!!! Dankie vriendin Dalene Steenkamp

Dalene Steenkamp Moenie vergeet om so stewige klont botter ook by die lou water te voeg nie en dan ..... dis nou ek .... smeer botter oor as dit uit die oond kom.

Albert Van Niekerk Lyk vir my beslis na 'n wenner!

Why SA needs specialised detective units: Johan Burger 19 October 2015

When Jackie Selebi, during his term as national commissioner of the South African

Police Service (SAPS), closed down a number of specialised investigative units and

distributed their members to police stations across the country, he convinced many

that he was on the right track.

In a public statement on 27 September 2006, Selebi argued that 'the restructuring of

the police will lead to a decrease in crime’. With hindsight, we now know that this did

not happen.

Overall, crime levels in South Africa peaked during 2002/03, thereafter dropping by

about 25% until it stabilised in 2007/08. The total crime rate remained mostly

consistent before starting to increase from 2011/12. In fact, some of the most serious

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violent crimes increased quite dramatically following Selebi’s statement in 2006. For

example, between 2005/06 and 2014/15, house robbery increased by 99% and

business robbery by 337%. Murder increased for a record third year in a row since

democracy, rising by more than 14% from 15 554 in 2011/12 to 17 805 in 2014/15.

Not everybody was convinced that closing and restructuring specialised units was

the right approach to combating of South Africa’s serious crime problem. As early as

July 2009 – only 18 months after Selebi was placed on extended leave, facing

corruption charges – then minister of police, Nathi Mthethwa, acknowledged that the

restructuring of the specialised units had to be ‘reviewed’ and that there was a need

to consider ‘reintroducing’ some of them.

Subsequently, since June 2010, the Family Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual

Offences units were being rapidly rebuilt. Not much else happened on this front,

however, apart from an announcement by the National Commissioner of SAPS, Riah

Phiyega, in July 2013 that the SAPS’ Anti-Corruption Unit was to be re-established in

the course of that year.

At the time of writing this has still not happened, although there are indications that

an inter-departmental task team is working on a structure for a more integrated anti-

corruption capability.

The National Development Plan 2030, approved in 2012, also recommends that

specialised units be re-established, ‘staffed with highly trained and professional

police officers, to respond to changing crime trends such as narcotics, cyber crime,

human trafficking … and international crime syndicates’. More recently, on 29 March

2015, the minister of police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, announced in a media statement that

a decision had been taken to consider re-introducing specialised ‘crime fighting

units’.

Effectively tackling crime is a complex business. The police have to respond to a

range of crime types, from shoplifting to murder and criminal activities associated

with commercial crime.

It also includes interpersonal violence and crimes committed by individuals, small

groups and larger, organised syndicates.

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Sophisticated crime types like cybercrime and copper cable theft are increasing,

costing the country billions. It would be unreasonable to expect station detectives to

have the specialised skills, expertise and experience to investigate all of these varied

crimes, given that they are often perpetrated by expert criminals and crime

syndicates.

This is why police agencies across the globe form specialised teams of detectives,

who are trained and equipped to investigate specific types of crime.

Establishing specialised investigative teams must, however, be based on thorough

analysis of why a particular crime has become a problem, and what is needed to

address it. It should also include an investigation of which methods, practices, skills

and training are most effective to combat a particular type of crime.

There should also be some form of consultation with interest groups to assess

whether there will be acceptance and support for a particular specialised group or

team. A similar approach should be followed when the closing of a specialised

investigative team is considered.

The strength of specialised investigative units lies in their ability to focus talent and

attention on a specific crime. These units are able to attract qualified investigators,

and offer the right kind of expertise, knowledge, training, techniques and equipment.

This approach fosters a culture of pride and team spirit unique to a particular unit.

When new members join, they learn the ‘trade’ from those with more experience,

and as the older members leave, younger members are able to replace them.

Selebi clearly failed to understand that decentralising the members of specialised

units would result in at least two negative outcomes: first, units would no longer

create new experts; and second, when units were closed down or weakened, pride

and team spirit also disappeared. This demoralised remaining members and had a

negative impact on the quality of their work. When they eventually became

disgruntled and left, the organisation was unable to replace them.

Selebi’s forced departure in 2009, and a lack of stability in subsequent leadership,

has done little to resolve the uncertainty surrounding some of the leading

investigative units within the SAPS. There are increasingly positive indications that

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things may change, but clear and concrete steps are urgently needed if rising levels

of serious, violent crimes are to be reduced effectively in the near future.

Johan Burger, Senior Researcher, Governance, Crime and Justice Division,

ISS Pretoria

This ISS Today is based on a new ISS Paper by Johan Burger, titled No-man’s-land:

The uncertain existence of SAPS specialised investigative units. https://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/why-sa-needs-specialised-detective-units

Railway Police: Grant Fryer & Brandon Stow

Grant Fryer shared Brandon Stow's photo.

We must be the only country in the world that has a police station on a train?

Have look at this German police locomotive: BR 101 Bundespolizei mit Intercity Zug in Wanne-Eickel HBF:

Watch video here>> https://youtu.be/OSb_OmsLMsw

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South African Constabulary: Railway Coach

The True face of Misinterpreted Russian Foreign Policy: Joel Obengo

(Kenya) Russia’s “new” foreign policy looks too much like an adjustment and an attempt to maintain as much influence as possible. Russia is losing geopolitical power and they know it. Hence the “drastic” measures in the Ukraine. For the West they may look excessive but for Russian standards they are logical steps. Russia is caught between a rock and a hard place. Their economy is just as interdependent as with other nation states in the West. This means that they can only maintain this stance for a while. Eventually they will be confronted with the same choice as the Soviet Union, which could not maintain its position. It is international Community’s task to find a proper balance between the regional security without pushing Russia into a position in which they will be forced to undertake predictable actions that could destabilize this regional security. Russia’s actions with regard to the Ukraine demonstrate what Russia is willing to do in similar situations. For China it offers a chance to get access to resources such as Russian gas, but it will have it limitations. Russia can’t implement one sided price hikes that easily with China, and although there is “one” head of state, China’s military will not accept the same geopolitical dynamics as with the Ukraine. If China would be such an interesting business partner, Russia would have expanded their much earlier in the past. Although not all details about their deal are public, it is needless to say that Russia is being forced to find (and expand in) a different market. Even with the current projections, China’s economy is slowing down in growth. Down the line this means less income/revenue for Russia as well. Engaging China is a risk for Russia, it will likely be in the subordinate position - however it may be the lesser of the two evils for Putin. Still, projects with China have

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drastically moved forward like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit which suddenly implemented the legal means to add more members and gas deals with China. Russia isn’t really proactively creating a new strategy, or reinventing a new Russia that is ready for this century. China carefully flirts with capitalism and tries to find a balance. But even the Chinese are resorting to some extraordinary tactics of territorial disputes in e.g. the South Chinese Sea that are troublesome to say the least. These moves will postpone the inevitable for Russia. Most beneficial would be if the interdependence becomes a binding factor of stability instead of the perceived threat of, in this case, Russia’s sovereignty. Russia have wrongly been accused of being the determining voice in the foreign policy orientation of independent countries which would like to become more European even though it is not true Russia and Central Asia

Current unpredictable situation in Afghanistan post-2014 forces Russia to intensify cooperation with Central Asian states, in particular in the framework of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as all states are aware of security challenges and threats which may arrive from Afghanistan. However, intensification of cooperation, which somehow forms regional security system, is constantly obstructed by the contradictions. They include the following:

Tajikistan discontent with the increase of Russian assistance in military-technical cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, in particular within CSTO;

Unresolved energy issues between Moscow and Dushanbe, which in some way influence on the situation with the Russian military base in Tajikistan;

Uncertainty with military facilities on the territory of Central Asia;

Tajik-Uzbek contradictions in transport and energy, including the construction of large HPPs and transport routes;

Uzbek drift from CSTO and security dialogue in the region;

Ongoing problems in labor migration and drug trafficking. Under these circumstances, Russia is seeking opportunities to strengthen bilateral partnerships. Having realized the necessity of Afghanistan reconstruction after the withdrawal, Russia strives to build a new geopolitical construct, which will provide Moscow with a tool to promote economic interests in the region in long term perspectives. The establishment of Russian Corporation for Cooperation with Central Asia (Russian Federal Drug Control Service initiative) reflects Russian ambitions to lobby their own projects, alternative to Washington plans to consolidate its military presence in the region, in particular within “New Silk Road” and “Heart of Asia” strategies. However, implementation of Russian geopolitical ideas requires significant investments, which Moscow is not ready to provide at this stage. 2 billion roubles with 51% of shares for the project launch neither sort with Russian financial assistance in Armenia, nor correlate with the U.S. funds for implementation of its strategy in the region. Increased geopolitical competition of external actors in Central Asia (the U.S.A., Russia, and China) and emergence of new threats and challenges establishes a

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certain trend in Central Asia elite and expert community perception of Russia. On one hand, there is criticism of Russian policy even within intergovernmental structures. On the other, failure or substantial reduction of this cooperation does not meet the strategic objectives of Central Asian states. Russia is a constant leader in foreign trade with Central Asian states, in particular in terms of remittance and circulation of commodities. CSTO comprehensive plan for Afghanistan bears witness to the strengthening of CSTO positions, but the problem with its practical completion remains unsolved. There exists a risk of further Central Asia fragmentation, as current Russian investment in military-technical assistance mainly to Kyrgyzstan is of great concern in Tajikistan. In this regard, main short term perspectives for Moscow are either genuine balancing between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan deeper involvement in security dialogue in the region, including the issues of migration and drug trafficking. Russia and NATO

Russia uses energy threats (Ukraine 2006, Estonia 2007, and Belarus 2010), soft power through political influence (Ukraine elections 2009) and military power through armed interventions (Georgia 2008, Ukraine 2014) to protect its interests. It seems that the core of Russia’s foreign policy has not fundamentally changed since the Soviet days. Moscow, for strategic, historical, ideological and economic reasons wants to keep this Near Abroad/Neighbourhood under its influence. It's classical Realpolitik. Russia, like most countries, does not like uncertainty and a Westernization of these regions could mean a loss of influence. It reflects the Russian way of thinking about foreign policy, which is rooted in the zero-sum game. Russian and the Arctic

NATO's role in the region is not as clear as the Arctic Council, but the Pentagon has been working hard within the Arctic Council governance system to implement agreements on territory, search-and-rescue, and other issues. There is precedent for dual-track strategies with Russia/USSR, of course, and cutting off dialogue with Russia completely will have consequences in regions that are still emerging in importance. As one example, sidelining Russia in Arctic discussions would open a space for China to intervene, which is not in Russia’s immediate interests or many western countries. Perceptions and misperceptions

US and Western Europe (mostly US) continue to see Russia as the "bad guy" in international scenario. They react consequently and so Russia adopts a defensive attitude. In the last few years Russia has begun paying more attention to its Pacific side, and to East Asia, generally speaking. Massive investment and political capital has been pledged in Primorskij kraj region while resources coming from Siberia and Sakhalin will be providing China, Japan, South Korea and maybe Australia with

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natural gas coming from Russia. Moscow can therefore diversify its sales, while starting (finally) some attempt of industrialization of its South-east. These big projects are in part fed by foreign investment. It is not new that Russia is searching for money and industrial advanced know-how in change of gas and oil to improve its economic performance. To implement its strategy eastward, Putin needs to have its western front under control. Such a control includes preserving what Moscow has always considered its "Lebensraum" and includes (included), in Europe, Belarus and Ukraine. Also, incomes of gas and oil sales from the western side help affording costs of eastern programs, which needed - once again - foreign support (Australia, China, Japan) for going ahead. EU behaviour since 2007, when the first crisis in Ukraine erupted, has been perceived by Moscow as hostile. In effect, the following EU regulatory framework, which increased the transportation costs of gas sensitively (thus affecting the bargain Russia had in selling to Europe), its eastern partnership programs and some proposals of cooperation forwarded by NATO, convinced Russia the EU wanted to move forward at its expenses. It is not difficult noticing that Russia is a country which has both European and Asian interest. If Russia wanted to expand eastward, it could not do it with the "enemy from behind". As Russia felt EU and/or NATO as enemy it had to change plans and felt the need to secure its western part before going ahead eastward. Summing up, the crisis in Ukraine can be read under many aspects, but I think that most of mistakes that led to a worst case solution (disaggregating Ukraine and leading to a civil war) has been a matter of misperceptions both sides (EU and Russia). EU and Russia do not understand each other (maybe with some exceptions like Germany). Understanding Russian foreign policy

First, we need to be careful with the label "aggressive". American foreign policy has been interventionist and aggressive since the end of the Cold War in the pursuit of a unilateral world on a level the Russians can't even begin to approach - but that is for the sake of comparison.

Second, beyond the clash of power interests, Russian foreign policy holds a different worldview - a multi-polar world. It's a clash of visions, beyond that of politics. The Russian view holds that Western power needs to be limited, whereas most experts don't necessarily agree. The critical thing to understand is that the new Russia is about pursuing its interests in the most efficient way possible - they have understood that a global empire is far too expensive to maintain and it doesn't end well. As such, the vision is founded on political and economic, more than military mechanisms, without the overarching ideological component - it's a pattern of behaviour, very similar to that of the West.

Third, the spheres of influence concept is not dead, it's very much relevant. If the Chinese opened up a military complex in Canada and based nuclear missiles in Mexico, it is beyond doubt that the US would react negatively. Every country has a perceived sphere of influence - political, economic, cultural, and military - that extends beyond its borders. For instance according to Migration report of International Migration Organization IOM of 2011, approx. 45% of the annual 6.5

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million Ukrainian workers find employment in the Russian economy. In reverse, Russia is not exceptional in having security requirements that isolate threats away from its borders, in what might be perceived as a mediating "belt" - that was the purpose of the Warsaw pact, and that's the purpose of NATO for the US and its other members. For this reason, Russia is very sensitive to matters in the countries that share its borders.

The results of Western foreign policy in the 21st century for the regions around Russia have been more instability: Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and the standoff with Iran, as well as NATO eastern expansion in view of the perceived agreements with Gorbachev in the 1980s.

Ukraine is particularly sensitive for Russia. Kievan Rus is the origin of Russia as such, and the shared culture, language, religion and politics make Ukraine particularly close to Russia on the psychological and cultural level, which finds inevitable expression in the politics. Moreover, Ukraine has never been a historical state - its history as such begins in 1991. Given that it has been transient and contested territory between Poland, Russia, Austria, the Ottomans and the West for most of its history, it is not surprising that there is a schizophrenic body-politic in Ukraine, divided for and against Russia in a civil war. Moreover, Ukraine depends economically on Russia, aside from the already mentioned support from migrant labour. The country is divided into an industrialized east and agricultural west, with the main export market being Russia - the inheritance of Soviet scientific and industrial complexes pre-define this reality. On a related note, the cost to reconfigure Ukraine for Western markets is prohibitive, in the tens of billions - not to mention the flood of cheap labour to Europe that would worsen an already volatile unemployment situation.

From a security point of view, any invasion of Russia will go through Ukraine, and they have been on the receiving end of such invasions several times in the last 200 years. The value of this fact cannot be understood by the West without having the experience - and even if those invasions have been disastrous for the invaders, the exacting price on Russia has always been high, and it is something they would prefer to avoid. Thus, having Ukraine in any opposing military alliance is an unacceptable liability, because it would almost certainly lead to war with unpredictable consequences - and if it does, Russia's review of the nuclear option could come into play.

Diversification of international relations: Russia reflects a growing opposition in the wider world of a Western-led system. The growing influence of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS ) and the deepening of Russian-Chinese cooperation suggest the democratization of international institutions, especially with the emergence of a parallel BRICS development bank and maturing alliances of countries. Russian foreign policy is geared to reflect and deepen this trend.

Gas diplomacy: what is clear, is that Russia is in possession of all kinds of resources in untold quantities, and they will be the most cost-effective to develop, because of the country's natural advantage in economies of scale. This is why Western companies put a priority on partnerships with Russian companies before the latest sanctions took effect. Ukraine, correspondingly, has had a bad payment history with Russian gas supplies - the latest move from Moscow to exact pre-

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payment from Kiev on supplies has commercial foundations, even if there are wide-ranging political implications. Moreover, the supply of Russian natural gas to Europe cannot be pragmatically replaced without significant investments in new infrastructure and paying more for shale and LNG sources; the former of those still has unresolved important ecological considerations.

State capitalism: the West is on track to undergo the same ideological catharsis that Russia did through the collapse of the USSR. In a world, rapidly evolving towards a multi-polar architecture, Russian foreign policy has become flexible enough to adapt - BRICS and swap agreements in RBL:RMB are only two examples - whereas the sanctions from the West are a sign that we lack the idea of how to respond to this changing world.

Crimea: The peninsula is of strategic importance - cities like Sevastopol and Odessa were built by the Russians when they took political control of the area and it has been contested ever since. The transfer of the peninsula to the Ukraine SSR from the jurisdiction of the RSFSR under Khrushchev was an internal act, where there was no way to foresee the implications of the breakup of the USSR. Nonetheless, Russia continued paying for its base of operations in Sevastopol for two decades in the post-Cold War period. It is important to note that Sevastopol was a de-facto Russian port and de jure an Ukrainian port.

The Crimean referendum may have been engineered, but it is also conspicuous that the region has not exhibited any protests or notable calls for re-integration with Ukraine. Moreover, the country's eastern regions hold millions of ethnic Russians, who with or without surreptitious help from Russia would most likely prefer to switch their national jurisdiction. Effectively, Ukraine's failure as a state is locked in its DNA as an artificially constructed state, and this is the weakness Russia has exploited to achieve its geopolitical ends.

This opinion, on the overall, is meant to explain Russian foreign policy in greater detail to foster greater understanding of why Russia does what it does -as for the righteousness of its actions, that is a moral and ethical discussion that needs to happen in the context of the identity of each country, its national psyche, vision and interests, in a world, where the liberal concepts with which we built the post-Cold War setting are undergoing important re-evaluations themselves.

About the Author: Joel Obengo

Joel Obengo is an administrator in Kenyatta University and frequently contributes to Global South Development Magazine. He is profoundly talented and resourceful management, diplomacy, peace and security, administrative and election management profession and is a prolific author and his articles have been published by various organizations. The opinion here presented is solely of the author.

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Correspondence Received

Craig Fourie (Durban): Stolen Medals

Hi all, Hope you don’t mind my contacting you all here but desperately trying to get back the following Rhodesian medals stolen recently in Durban; Rhodesian General Service Medal & BSAP LSGC – Named to F/R J.A. LIGHT Rhodesian General Service Medal – Named to PTE FREDDY Reward offered. Any help most appreciated.. Thank you, Craig Fourie 082 525 5225

Robert Suberg: Stolen Medals

From: ken.gillings@mweb.co.za To: ken.gillings@mweb.co.za Subject: List of medals stolen from Talana Museum Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2015 14:06:43 +0200 Fellow members and Friends of the South African Military History Society. As many of you will no doubt be aware by now, thieves broke into the Talana Museum at Dundee (Northern KwaZulu-Natal) over the weekend and stole several irreplaceable items, including the medals listed below. Please ask your contact to be on the lookout for these should they be offered for sale. They will be blacklisted but it will be really wonderful if they can be retrieved and returned to the Museum, whose contact details are shown at the end of this message. Regards, Ken Ken Gillings Tel: 0317024828 (Local) / +27317024828 (International) Cellphone / Mobile: 0836545880 Skype: kenheath1

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1. SMITH, William Craighead. J.P. (2 medals) South Africa Service medal – no bar (Lieutenant, Buffalo Border Guard). 04/9447 QSA with “Talana” bar (Dundee Rifle Association). 2.STEER, Alfred J.W. 04/5392 QSA bar Talana (Dundee Town Guard). 3.WILLSON, Capt. Charles George. M.L.C., J.P. South Africa Service Medal (Sergeant Major, Buffalo Border Guard). 04/17 4. McKENZIE, John. J.P. (3 medals) QSA with bars Talana; Defence of Ladysmith; Transvaal; Laing’s Nek; South Africa 1901. 170 Corporal, Natal Carbineers. 04/21 Natal Rebellion. No bar. Lieutenant and Quartermaster, Natal Carbineers. 04/15 Long Service Medal J McKenzie 04/19 5. MACPHAIL, Duncan Dugald 04/2385 Natal Rebellion (no bar). Lance Corporal, Natal Carbineers. 6. BROCKMAN, C. (2 medals) QSA with bars Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek. 146 Trooper C. Brockman, Umvoti Mounted Rifles. 04/16970 Natal Rebellion with 1906 bar. Trooper C. Brockman, Msinga Military Reserves.04/6590 7.GARDNER, W.N. 1213 Trooper. South African Light Horse. 04/16 QSA bars Cape Colony; Tugela Heights; Orange Free State; Relief of Ladysmith; Laing’s Nek; Belfast. 8.SAUNDERS, J. 731 Corporal. Imperial Light Infantry. 04/16968 QSA with bars Tugela Heights; Orange Free State; Relief of Ladysmith; Transvaal; Laing’s Nek. 9.HARMSWORTH. 2402 Trooper Robert William. Natal Police. (3medals) QSA with bars Tugela Heights; Relief of Ladysmith; Cape Colony; Orange Free State; Transvaal. Africa service Medal 1939-1945 04/13804 1939-1945 War Medal 04/13805 10.HAUTON, Conductor A. Natal Transport. 04/6452 QSA with no bar. 11.STARZAKER. 1655 Corporal W. Scots Guards. 04/20 KSA. 12.WHARRAM. 2186 Private M. Johannesburg Mounted Rifles. QSA with bars Cape Colony; Transvaal; Orange Free State; South Africa 1901 and 1902. 04/16969

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13. MAUNDER. 8326 Private F. Royal Army Medical Corps. QSA with bars Tugela Heights; Orange Free State; Relief of Ladysmith; Transvaal; Laing’s Nek.. 04/2386 14. MILLER. 3285 Private D.H. Royal Dublin Fusiliers. (2 medals) QSA. Private. Bars Tugela Heights; Orange Free State; Relief of Ladysmith; Transvaal; Laing’s Nek. 04/5327 KSA. Drummer. Bars South Africa 1901 and 1902. 04/16963 15. BUNTING, Benjamin Bartle. (4 medals) QSA. Bars Defence of Ladysmith; Transvaal; Laing’s Nek. 64 Trooper, Volunteer Composite Regiment. 04/5326 KSA. Bars South Africa 1901 and 1902. 64 Sergeant, Natal V.C.R. 04/5325 Natal Rebellion with bar 1906. Sergeant, Natal Carbineers. 04/5324 Edward VII Coronation Medal in bronze. Unnamed. 16. 4 medals showing the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary June 1911. 04/18 1 04/18 2 04/18 3 04/18 4 2 are silver and 2 bronze. 17. London School Board Medal awarded to Herbert Head 1889 18. Union of South Africa Medal 1910 04/23 1 04/23 2 04/23 3 19. Trade tokens presented to Dundee by Dundee Scotland – 18 in total 04/24 numbered 1-24 individually. 20. 3 First World War medals awarded to EV Pulford 04/17564 1914-15 Star, 1914-1919 Britannia medal, 1914-1918 George V Medal 21. Johannesburg City Council 1886-1966 medal 04/28 22. Military Medal issued to RJA McMillan 22. 04/5713 23. Republic Medal 1961 04/5331 24. Iron Cross 1914 04/1355 25. Queen Victoria medal 1890 medal 04/1046 26. 1939-1945 04/13805 27. Great War for civilization 1914-1919 04/9151 28. Union Castle Sports Medal 04/9833 29. WW1 star medal 04/9150 30. Ribbon 04/9152

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31. Defence Medal World War ll 04/8172 32. 1939-1945 Medal 04/8173 33. 1939-1945 Star no name on medal 04/8174 34. Africa Service Medal no name on medal 04/8175 35. 1947 Royal Visit medals 04/6595 2 of these 36. 1947 Royal visit medal 04/6592 37. Africa Service Medal 1939-1945 no ribbon or name inscription 04/6453 38. Set of 4 miniature medals from 1914-1918 04/6454 39. Set of 3 medals to T B Wade 1937 Coronation medal 04/6451 40. Africa Service Medal 04/6450 41. Italian Africa Orientale medal - Ethiopia 04/6449 42. Italy Star WW11 Number 613133 V Ridley 04/13875 43. Coronation medal of King George and Queen Mary 04/11450 44. Pro Patria Medal 04/16714 45. Police Faithful Service Medal awarded to Sgt PS Nel 04/15716 46. Police Merit Badge stamped on back of medal PSM Nel 18318 20.03.64 04/ 15717 47. Group of 5 Italian Medals 04/15522 48. Safe driving medal 1947-1949 04/15338 49. 1947 Royal visit to South Africa medal 04/15164 50. Union of SA Commemorative medal 04/19493 51. 1906 badge with 7 small hooks on reverse 04/18105 52. Edward Vll and Queen Alexandra medal 04/18069 53. Brass medal issued by Dundee to commemorate coronation of Edward Vll 04/18058 54. Coronation of Edward and Alexander medal 04/18057 has holes punched in it.

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55. Dundee Corporation medal issued for coronation of George V and Queen Mary 04/18059 56. Silver medal to commemorate silver jubilee of Queen Mary and King George 1910-1935 04/18060 2 medals and medal bar 57. Bronze medal for silver jubilee of George V and Queen Mary 04/18061 58. Talana Lodge Masonic Lodge medal presented to R Smith 1903 04/18062 59. Circular black badge “For King and Empire” number on reverse SA11228 04/18055 60. Silver Queen Victoria jubilee medal 1837-1897 04/18056 61. Medal for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth ll 04/17713 1 62. Commemorative button for coronation of Elizabeth ll 04/17713 2 63. A miniature defence force medal 1994 with number 138175 stamped on reverse 04/17567 64. General Service Medal presented to D Greenhough number 149767 stamped on reverse 04/17566 65. Medal to commemorate 1925 Royal visit to SA 04/17562 66. Coronation medal for George V and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 04/17561 Pam McFadden Curator: Talana Museum Dundee South Africa e-mail:info@talana.co.za www.talana.co.za facebook: talanamuseum twitter: @talanamuseum

Major theft of Medals from Talana Museum : Paul du Preez

Paul Du Preez to Hennie Heymans 13 October at 09:19

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Oom Hennie please circulate among your collector friends. This is a terrible loss and I am trying to help them find these priceless items. I have circulated among my collector groups. These items are worthless to the thieves, so I am sure they will try and sell them. Thank you.

Major theft of Medals from Talana Museum - Kwa-Zulu Natal - South Africa. Please be aware.

Some pretty terrible news just-in from Pam, Talana Museum! When Pam arrived for work this morning she found utter devastation in parts of the Museum!

You, Francois-Kerry Gunter, Twin Mosia and Petro Gunter Engelbrecht like this.

Francois-Kerry Gunter: Teken van die tye, baie museums deesdae plaas hul waardevolle medaljes in veilige bewaring en plaas hoë kwaliteit kopieë in die vertoonkaste. Dalk iets waarna die museums in SA kan kyk. Die Surrey Infantry Museum was in Clandon House en die hele gebou het vroeër die jaar afgebrand, maar gelukkig was al die Victoria Crosses in die museum, kopieë. Die skade was nog steeds hengs en onvervangbaar, maar ten minste was die VC's veilig.

Three former policemen reported this theft and another case to the Nongqai! One deduction: Their blood is blue!

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Keep your eyes open for:

Twin Mosia: Photographs Twin Mosia sent us the following photographs of the stolen medals:

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Poësie: MJJ van Rensburg (SALM)

Die Middelmannetjie

Die donkie karretjie knik op die tweespoor-grondpad.

Dit stamp en hik en pluk. Hier en daar kners die wiele op die kruispad.

Hoe kan `n mens verdwaal met `n middel mannetjie ?

Sy paadjie is altyd ongeskend in die middel. Hy wyk nooit na links of regs nie en raak nooit verinneweer nie.

Sy lang gras vee die maag van die donkie karretjie.

Die bitter koue is aan die byt en die dou môre lê nog in sy grys.. Elke môre kletter die melk kannetjie

dorp toe op die spoor van die middel mannetjie.

Die halfmaan en die sterre het verhuis seker ook êrens op `n middel mannetjie.

Ja ! Dis `n nuwe dag met sy eie middel mannetjie.

Op die donkie karretjie sing die plaas volkies, oor die bultjie verteer hulle stemme.

Die hadidas is ongeskik wakker gemaak en dit is `n ernstige saak.

Daar was `n ander pad sonder `n middel mannetjie.

Eers loop Hy op die Evangelie pad en toe na die tuin van Getsemanne. Agter hom was die Jerusalem stad.

Die Meester se pad was `n enkel pad.

Die mensdom skreeu Barnabas na vryheid, dis hooggety in ongeregtigheid.

Wie sien die traandruppel van moeder Maria ? Op die Golgota pad loop die middel mannetjie.

Hy sleep en dra die wêreld se kruis. Hulle hang Hom aan die middel van die drieling kruis

terwyl die huilende windjie suis.

Dit is nag en die wêreld het vergeet. So het hulle die Bethlehem ster vergeet.

Die drama van die Prediker is verby. Hoog vlam die feesvure van Barnabas se vryheid.

Maar uit die graf ruis die middel mannetjie en die Engele besing sy majestueusheid.

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Hy is die middel mannetjie tussen lewe en dood.

MJJ van Rensburg 30 SEPTEMBER 2015.

Die Oorlog

Die politiek en die oorlog getroud. Wettige moord, verkragting en diefstal.

Hulle maal soos skuim van die see. Die Ou Testament is die boek van die oorloë.

Die oorloë het soos dubbeltjie-saad

oor die aarde geïmmigreer, ja ! Wil hê, begeer om te regeer.

Winde van haat en rykdom het dit nat gemaak

en die satan het dit ontkiem Weë! Sy saad het ʼn wrang smaak.

Oorloë, die sportvelde van die satan die roes, die dood, die pyn en seer.

Tot die oordeelsdag sal niks dit keer. Armageddon is die laaste keer.

Soos die kommandowurm

en die sprinkaanplaag, soos die droogtes van woestyn, soos besoedelde putte is oorlog. Wie sê oorlog word ooit moeg ?

Ek was ʼn seuntjie met ʼn rekker

en later met ʼn geweer en koeëls. Hoekom is die oorlog in my lendene. Hy het my gebyt aan die hakskene?

Ek was nie meer die cowboy op die trekker.

Waarom is die kwaad in my tuin geplant, ek het hom nie genooi of gekoop nie ? Soos ‘n robot het ek soldaat geword

want ek is mos man en nie mossie nie.

Oorlog dra mooi uniforms wit en blou, bruin en swart,

donker gewere en blink medaljes met swaar stewels en kamaste.

As die oorlog verby is

dra die soldaat sy rugsak Daar’s baie vrae en waaroms in daardie pak.

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Hy loop oor al die verlore seisoene, verlore jeug so onherroepbaar. Niks het verander, behalwe hy.

Agter hom maak hy die oorlogsdeur toe

en voor hom, maak hy die vredesdeur oop. Sy stewels stap uit een wêreld, in ʼn oogblik, na ʼn ander wêreld.

Onlangs was hy in die oorlog en hier voor hom lag sy vrou en kinders.

N Winter wat in ʼn paar uur somer word,

uit die dood van koeëls in die lewe. Agter hom is sy makkers begrawe en skielik moet hy alles vergeet.

Die oorlog is in sy argief toegesluit. Sal hy ooit kan vergeet ?

Binne bloei die kanker van oorlog

sy brandmerk vir ewig ʼn vloek. Net geskeurde bladsye in sy boek.

Soos Dawid sal hy nie die tempel bou nie maar sy seun Salomo sal dit bou

Soldaat het bloed wat aan sy hande rou. Hoe sal hy ooit die mure van Jerigo herbou?

In die slaaplose nag huil ek. Elke ster is ʼn soldate traan.

As die goue fles vol raak van trane, reën dit bloed druppels soos op Getsemane.

In my hart is ʼn Golgota. Ek weet die Engele en die Here

het in Psalm 47 ook vir hierdie soldaat ʼn plek berei.

MJJ van Rensburg Oktober 2015

Dreyer van der Merwe: Commercial Farmers

News & Analysis: Property rights: Boere need to make a plan: F Cronje IRR

12 October 2015

Frans Cronje says farmers need to play a much more decisive role in setting the terms of reference for the debate around land and agriculture

How to safeguard the future of commercial farming in South Africa This policy brief was produced by the IRR at the request of the Transvaal Agricultural Union – South Africa and many commercial farmers within the country

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Introduction South Africa’s 35 000 remaining commercial farmers (down from 60 000 in 1996) are vital to the food security of 54m South Africans (up from 40m in 1995). They also contribute 3.9% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), employ more than 650 000 mostly unskilled people, and help boost exports and hold down the current account deficit. They generally have good relationships with their farm workers and pay not less than the statutory minimum wage. Many have also done all they can to mentor new black farmers and generally help the process of land reform. Commercial farmers underpin the rural economy and the prosperity of small rural towns. This means that increased investment in commercial agriculture is vital to the rural economy and the prosperity of all rural people. Despite this, South Africa’s commercial farmers are under attack. They already face a raft of damaging policies that threaten the success of commercial farming. Now many of these policies are being ratcheted up, putting the future of farming still further at risk. This document explains why this is happening and what the farming community must do to safeguard its future. The failure of the Government’s land reform efforts Many farmers have long accepted the need for land reform to overcome the ongoing effects of past racial laws prohibiting the purchase of agricultural land by black people and the forced removal of more than 1.1 million Africans from “white” rural areas in the 1960s and 1970s. However, land reform to date has largely been a dismal failure. Since 1994, some R69bn in real terms has been spent by the State on buying some 7 million hectares of land for redistribution or restitution, against a target of some 26 million hectares. The amount already spent is very close to the net value of all agricultural land in the country (R71bn), yet 19 million hectares still remain to be transferred. In addition, between 70% and 90% of all land reform projects have failed, beneficiaries being unable to produce any marketable surplus. Productive land has thus been taken out of use without any resulting benefit to anyone in jobs, income, or agricultural production. In addition, land under claim commonly remains “frozen” for years while claims are investigated, settlements reached, and prices agreed to by the State are finally (generally also after much delay) paid out to farmers. Overall, land reform has been so badly implemented that, where it has been applied, it has probably done more damage to commercial farming than the Anglo Boer War. Yet land reform is also a sham in that:

- it exaggerates the extent of land hunger (in fact, only some 8% of South Africans want land to farm);

- it prevents black South Africans from gaining individual ownership of farming land (almost all transferred land goes to the State, the chiefs, or community trusts) and does not in fact aim at creating a new class of black commercial farmers; while

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- it ignores the most important land reform requirement, this being the need to give individual ownership to some 18m people with insecure customary land-use rights in the former homelands.

Despite these many problems, land reform is now being stepped up through legislation recently adopted or now in the policy pipeline. Laws and policies that threaten the future of commercial farming Much of the threat to commercial farming comes from a spate of new laws and policies, six of which are outlined below. 1. Land Restitution Amendment Act of 2014 (effective July 2014) The land claims process has been re-opened, with a new five-year window running from July 2014 to June 2019, during which some 379 000 new claims are expected to be lodged. These claims will be in addition to the 80 000 or so lodged in the first window period (to December 1998), some 13 000 of which still remain to be resolved. The 379 000 new claims could cost R179bn to settle, but the annual restitution budget is less than R3bn a year. In addition, both the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (the land department) and the Land Claims Commission lack the administrative capacity to handle all the new claims, which are likely to drag on for decades and make for great uncertainty as to the title of commercial farmers to all or part of their land. 2.Property Valuation Act of 2014 (effective August 2015) A state official, the valuer general, has been empowered to value all property (including both land and any accompanying movables) that has been identified for land reform purposes. Where farms are under claim, this statute will help the Government expropriate them as working entities and for less than market value. 3. Regulation of Land Holdings Bill (mooted in the Green Paper on Land Reform in 2011, and still to be approved by the Cabinet for tabling in Parliament). This bill will introduce ceilings on farm sizes, which are likely to be set (in the beginning, at least) at 1 000 hectares for a small farm, 2 500 hectares for a medium one, and 5 000 hectares for a large farm. In exceptional circumstances (for example, to cater for timber or game farms), a maximum of 12 000 hectares may be allowed. In many instances, these ceilings will erode the economies of scale necessary for successful commercial farming. In addition, once the principle has been accepted that the Government can decide farm sizes, the ceilings are likely to be reduced. Where a given farm exceeds the relevant ceiling, any excess land is likely to be expropriated by the Government. 4. 50:50 proposal (under investigation through a few pilot studies) The land department has proposed that 50% of all commercial farms be transferred to long-serving farm workers. Compensation for this 50% will not go to the farmer but

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will be paid into a trust jointly owned by both the farmer and his new owner-workers. 5. Agri Land Bill of 2014 (Public comment obtained, bill still to be approved by Cabinet for tabling in Parliament) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (DAFF) has put forward the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Framework Bill of 2014 (the Agri Land Bill), under which all agricultural land will vest in DAFF as “custodian” for the people of South Africa. This wording could perhaps result (as under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002, which has the same formula regarding the State’s custodianship of mineral resources) in the effective expropriation of farming land without compensation. In addition, the Agri Land Bill will require all high potential cropping land to be used solely for production for human consumption. All farmers will need state approval (through extraordinarily costly and complex new bureaucratic procedures) for any rezoning or sub-division, under rules so broad they could require state approval for a shift from one kind of agricultural use to another. Restrictions on the use of pesticides and genetically modified (GM) crops could also be introduced. Under the Agri Land Bill, the “right to farm” will also be made subject to ministerial regulation. Under this provision, farmers could in time be required to obtain farming leases or licences from the State, which could be made dependent on them fulfilling various (and shifting) black economic empowerment (BEE) requirements. (If this transpires, it will give effect to a demand by the Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF for the State to take custodianship of all agricultural land and then lease it out to farmers.) 6. Expropriation Bill of 2015 (currently before Parliament) This bill will allow all national and provincial departments, all municipalities, and hundreds of other organs of state to expropriate land, movables, and other assets either “for public purposes” (such as the building of a road) or in “the public interest” (which the Constitution defines as “including the nation’s commitment to land reform”). On its current wording, the Bill would work as follows. The land department could decide it wants to expropriate a number of farms, which it will then lease to black farmers under the State Land Lease and Disposal Policy (SLLDP). The department must start by negotiating with the farm owners for the purchase of their land at, say, 70% of market value, as recommended by the valuer general. If negotiations fail, the land department may issue a notice of its intention to expropriate, under which it may investigate the value of the land. It must also invite objections to its proposed expropriations, but can reject these without giving reasons. Once these initial procedures are complete, the land department may serve notices of expropriation on all the affected farm owners. Under such a notice, ownership will pass automatically to the land department on the “date of expropriation” set out in the document, which could be the day after its service. (The only relevant time limit in the Bill is that ownership cannot pass the day before the notice was served.) The

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right to possess the property could pass to the land department on the following day. The land department may again offer 70% of market value as compensation. If a farm owner does not sue for more within 60 days of being invited to do so, he will be deemed to have accepted this amount. If he does litigate and a court awards him the same amount or less, he must pay the land department’s legal costs, which will be deducted from the compensation owing to him – leaving him only such balance as remains. The Bill’s present wording also seeks to prevent the courts from ruling on the validity of the expropriation: on whether, for example, it is objectively either rational or in the public interest. It also limits access to the courts on the compensation payable through the “deeming” provision outlined above. The Bill is thus in conflict with Section 34 (the right of access to court), as well as Section 25 (the property clause, with its various requirements for a valid expropriation), and Section 33 (the right to just administrative action, which prohibits the land department from acting as “judge and jury in its own cause”). Where farm houses are included in the land expropriated, farm owners cannot be evicted from their homes without court orders (as required by Section 26 of the Constitution), but the Bill does not acknowledge this. Our concerns about Agri SA Agri SA is a very important role player. However, the IRR is concerned about some of the positions adopted by Agri SA, as these suggest that it does not fully comprehend the threat to commercial farming and may not be doing enough to protect farming interests. For example, Agri SA has welcomed the Expropriation Bill and rejected criticisms of its unconstitutionality. Thanks mainly to the IRR’s sustained objections, the Bill may now be amended to give the magistrates’ courts jurisdiction to rule on both the validity of an expropriation and the amount of compensation payable. However, even if these changes are made, this will still not be enough to protect property owners, either black or white. On general principles of constitutional interpretation, the onus lies on the State to prove that all constitutional requirements for a valid expropriation have been met. It is not the job of the expropriated owner to show that these criteria have not in fact been fulfilled. Moreover, the State must provide this proof before it proceeds with a disputed expropriation, as the constitutional guarantees otherwise have little practical significance. Great harm may also be done by an unconstitutional expropriation – and this harm might not be easy to reverse. The IRR has thus proposed an alternative expropriation bill, under which:

- the State must prove the validity of a disputed expropriation before it proceeds with it;

- compensation must begin with market value, less the four discount factors listed in the Constitution, but must also include an amount to make good all losses directly resulting from an expropriation (such as moving costs and lost future income); while

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- payment must be made in full before the State takes ownership, failing which the relevant notice of expropriation becomes invalid and falls away.

These changes would make it more difficult for the land department – or any other organ of state – to abuse the power to expropriate. Agri SA has failed to make or support these important changes, perhaps because it sees the need to maintain a good relationship with the Government as more compelling. Good relations with the State are, of course, desirable. But the IRR’s experience, over several decades, is that appeasement does not work and that bad policy must always be opposed. Propaganda against farmers Farmers face not only a growing threat to their property rights, but also a barrage of adverse propaganda. This begins with repeated exaggerations of the ratio of white to black land ownership, which no longer stands at 87:13 but rather at around 65:35. Also relevant are constant accusations that farmers abuse and assault their farm workers, that they pay even less than the statutory minimum wage, and that they have illegally evicted more than a million farm residents since 1997. (By contrast, official figures put the total number of evictions, in the period from 1997 to 2009, at 826.) Farmers have also repeatedly been accused of artificially inflating land prices, while the willing seller/willing buyer principle has often been identified as the main obstacle to successful land reform. Increasingly, farmers are now also being accused of having “stolen” their land, which means they have no valid claim to it and merit no compensation for it at all. The purpose of this stigmatisation is to turn public opinion against farmers, so that the Government can more easily use its laws to target farmers, interfere in their businesses and, over time, take all or part of their farms. Why is the Government targeting farmers in this way? Many farmers find it difficult to believe that the Government could intend to harm a sector that is vital to food security, offers employment to the unskilled, and helps (through its exports) to reduce the current account deficit. But the African National Congress (ANC) and its allies in the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) care little for such practical realities. Their actions are instead guided by ideology and their commitment to a Soviet-inspired national democratic revolution (NDR). It is thus important not to be naïve – as Zimbabweans were – and not simply to accept the Government’s word when it says it has the best interests of commercial farming at heart. Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the SACP – which controlled the ANC throughout the exile years – still continues to dominate the ruling party. Some 40% of President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet ministers and their deputies are known present or former members of the SACP. Others are surely also communists, even though their membership of the party has never been acknowledged. The three ministers driving the most damaging land laws and bills are all known or likely communists: Gugile

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Nkwinti, the land minister, Senzeni Zokwana, the agriculture minister, and Thulas Nxesi, the public works minister (who is responsible for the Expropriation Bill). According to the SACP, the NDR offers the shortest and “most direct” path to a socialist and then communist future for South Africa. It also makes it possible to achieve “elements of socialism” today, even while the country retains a mixed economy and a strong private sector. The ANC has slowly but steadily been implementing the NDR ever since 1994. In recent years, it has stepped up the pace, as it believes the “balance of forces” now allows this. Key factors here include the ouster of Thabo Mbeki – who was reluctant to make “great leaps forward” – along with the success of the ANC’s “cadre deployment policy”. Overall, the ANC believes it now has enough control over the police, army, public service, judiciary, media, business, and other opinion formers (the universities and civil society) to be able to push ahead with radical “economic” transformation in this second phase of the NDR. The most important goal of the NDR is to “eliminate apartheid property relations”: in other words, to put an end to private property rights, whether these are held by white or black South Africans. According to Cosatu, it is also vital to vest ownership of all land in the State in order to “break the power of white capital”. Take out the word “white” and the real meaning of this call becomes apparent. Most NDR interventions, whether in the land reform sphere or more broadly, are being implemented in the supposed interests of “transformation” and “redress” for apartheid injustices. However, the real aim is rather to empower the State and a small elite within the SACP. In time, this small group will control the entire economy and society, in much the same way as did the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. Once this system is in place, it will provide unparalleled power and wealth for the few at the very top. It will make the SACP the gatekeeper over all opportunities for advancement, which will also offer various individuals significant opportunities for personal enrichment. In addition, pervasive state ownership and control will destroy not only the market economy but also the middle class, both black and white. The last objective is particularly important in a supposedly multiparty democracy, as the middle class could otherwise threaten the ANC’s hold on power. This is already evident from past election results, which show that most of the ANC’s electoral support comes from the unskilled and jobless poor: from the people most dependent on social grants and the wider social wage. By contrast, the better educated, better off, and more independent middle class is more likely to support the Democratic Alliance and other opposition parties. These voting patterns also help explain why the ANC has no interest in creating a class of black commercial farmers. On the contrary, the ruling party greatly fears the rise of black land owners because of the political and economic power they would wield. Against this background, the ANC’s repeated claim that it wants to create new black farmers is the great fraud at the heart of all the Government’s land reform efforts.

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Overall, there is significant “method in the madness” of the policies now being directed at commercial agriculture (and other sectors of the economy). The Zimbabwe model is relevant too – not because South Africa is likely to implement land grabs in the same way – but rather because any major threat to property rights will curb investment, growth, and jobs, increase dependency on the State, undermine the market economy, and pave the way for the Government to take ownership or “custodianship” of ever more land and other assets. As the growth rate turns negative, the middle class will emigrate (if possible) or fall back among the poor (if not). The poor will be heavily dependent on the State for grants, transfers, and permits – and will become ever more fearful of voting against the ruling party. However, key individuals at the top of the ANC and the SACP will become super-rich and super-powerful, in much the same way as the top echelons of Zanu-PF have done. What must farmers do? The first thing to do is to understand what is going on and why. You need to know what laws are being passed and what powers they give the Government. You also need to understand the ideology which motivates the ANC and the SACP, for this explains why the Government will not in fact shrink from damaging the commercial farming sector – even though this is sure to reduce living standards, wreck the rural economy, and increase food prices. Once you understand what is happening and why, the second thing is to organise against it. Join farming unions and civil society groups that have your interests at heart. Use your power as members to compel the leadership of those groups to act in your best interests. There is no need to try and forge a single representative group: on the contrary, several different groups working together will be more effective. The third step is for these groups to identify core issues of principle that are essential to the future of commercial farming. Most important here are your property rights – these are non-negotiable. Thereafter, it is vital to shift the national debate away from its current focus on how best to redistribute land to how best to secure the future of commercial farming. Farmers must play a much more decisive role in setting the terms of reference for the debate around land and agriculture. The emphasis in this debate must be on ensuring the survival and growth of the commercial farming sector. Do not fall into the trap of letting the Government set the terms of the debate. If you do, the Government will frame the debate in a way that puts you on the back foot and leaves you trying to explain why your core property rights should not be taken away. In a nutshell, by the time you find yourself talking about whether the Government should take 10%, 20%, or 50% of your farm, you have already lost. This failure to set the terms of the debate is the greatest failing of organised agriculture in South Africa. Once you are clear about your non-negotiable principles – starting with the sanctity of your property rights – you can begin to exert pressure. Use your structures to target political parties, individual political leaders, and large agricultural businesses, along with your suppliers, the banks, and agricultural co-operatives. Challenge them

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publicly to lend their weight and influence to campaigns against policies that threaten the future of commercial farming. If they refuse to act in your interests, you may have to act against them. Boycotting a company’s products will quickly send a strong message. You have economic and political power – so use it. Lastly, you need a highly effective policy and communications strategy. Do not allow a single bad law or policy to be drawn up without challenging it publicly, building a lobby group of individuals and organisations to oppose it, and proposing a better alternative. Take the policy lead by strongly pushing for policies that will be effective in promoting investment, growth, and jobs. Engage constructively with the Government whenever it seems willing to listen to your ideas. At the same time, do not allow a single misrepresented fact or piece of propaganda against commercial farmers to go unchallenged. Dominate the agricultural, business, and popular media with your ideas and arguments. Use every opportunity to state your case. Build strong relationships with international organisations, diplomats, journalists, and other policy and opinion formers. Farmers must turn popular opinion in their favour, for this will become the most powerful asset they have. At present, the ANC and SACP are able to pursue the NDR without attracting almost any scrutiny or critical comment. South Africa is thus sleep-walking into a socialist and communist future. Yet if most South Africans knew what was at stake, they would thoroughly reject and oppose these outcomes. Starting to resist in the way earlier outlined is a hard-line strategy, and it carries risks. If farmers go this way then, in the short term, the accusations and the pressure against them will be ratcheted up. It is also late in the day, and the campaign against commercial farmers has already gone so far that there can be no guarantee of success. However, if you stay the course, you will increasingly win allies. If you can also change the terms of the policy debate so that it starts focusing on how best to secure the future of large scale commercial farming, you will be on to a winning formula. On the other hand, what is certain is that further appeasement and a willingness to negotiate on core principles, such as the sanctity of property rights, is a losing strategy. It probably will not end up in the violent land invasions we saw in Zimbabwe. But it could well end up with the Government taking ownership, custodianship or control of ever more farming land – and ultimately making it impossible for commercial farmers to run profitable businesses. Issued by the IRR, 12 October 2015

Gevaarlike Spinnekop: Piet “Walk Tall” van Zyl

Hierdie is nie speletjies nie!

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As die knaap jou byt.............lê daar ʼn harde tyd vir die uwe voor.!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kom glo nie net in Namibiëvoor nie, maar ook in SA.

Pasop vir die spinnekop wat in die woongebuurtes hom tuismaak, veral onder lapas wanneer daar gebraai word. Die byt het menigte groot mans al platgetrek. Simptome kan lei tot duiseligheid, aangetaste spraak, naarheid & braking en erge hoofpyne. Hierdie is maar net 'n paar van die algemene simptome onder die slagoffers. Hieronder ‘n foto van die spinnekop sodat jy hom maklik kan identifiseer wanneer jy hom dalk raakloop………. !!!!

Oranje-wit-en-blou: Nico Lamprecht

Hennie Jy weet mos ek het die ding met vlae. Ek het nou die dag op die een afgekom, die Wes-Indiese Kompanjie-vlag is deur die hoofstad Albany, van die Amerikaanse deelstaat New York, oorgeneem. Die slagspreuk “assiduity” is 'n verboë vorm van die meer bekende “assidious”= ywerig noukeurig, volhard. Die verbintenis is dat die nedersetting Beverwijk geleë na aan die WIC fort "Oranje" het Albany geword toe die

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gebied deur die Britte oorgeneem is. Albany was die naam van die Britse Hertog James ll, en Albany afkomstig van Albion die ou Engels vir Skotland. Groetnis

Toe ek jou aandag gevestig het op die vlag van Albany, die hoofstad van die VSA deelstaat "New York", het ek versuim om te meld dat die vlag van die stad die GROOT APPEL, New York, ook dieselfde kleure het, maar vertikaal met verskillende embleme in die wit . Let op die datum 1625. Henry Hudson die Engelse seevaarder in diens van die VOC het reeds in1609 op die Halwe Maen by die Hudson rivier opgevaar. Die VOC was buite hul oktrooi gebied, maar Hudson en die VOC was eintlik nog steeds op soek na 'n beter, vinniger roete na die OOSTE.

Ene Lambert van Tweenhuysen wou belangstellendes in Nederland saamsnoer om 'n nuwe Companje te stig,om in die Amerkas handel te dryf, maar die Staten Generaal het geweier om 'n oktrooi te verskaf. In 1614 is 'n Kompanje van Nieuw Nederland gestig en 'n 4 jaar oktrooi verskaf; eintlik belaglik in vergeleke met die hernubare 25 jaar oktrooi van die VOC. Vanaf 1618 tot 1621 was daar onmin en /broedertwis in Nederlande tussen sakekamers, beleggers en ander belangegroepe

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en boonop het 'n twaalfjarige bestand (cease fire) tussen Nederland en Spanje reeds tydelik die winsgewende Nederlandse kaperbedryf in die Atlantiese oseaan beeindig. Op 3 Junie 1621 het die Staten Generaal die nuutgestigteWes-Indiese Kompanjie 'n 24 jaar oktrooi toegestaan.

In die kaart oos van die lentegraad deur Kaappunt/Kaap de Goede Hoop tot by die verste punt Oos in Nieu Guinee was VOC oktrooigebied; en wes van dieselfde lengtegraad tot by dieselfde punt, oos in Guinee, was WIC oktrooigebied. Teen 1652 was die WIC reeds bankrot. Die Staten Generaal wou reeds vanaf 1645 die twee Kompanjies saamsmelt maar die VOC het bykans 14 miljoen riksdaalders aan die Staten Generaal betaal vir 'n oktrooihernuwing met 'n vrywaring teen toekomstige samesmelting. Groetnis

Filler

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BSAP: Terry Schwartz

Hennie I bet the Member i/c had something to say about this departure from standard dress regulations!!

Anglo Boer War: Australian Aborigines

Willem Pretorius 14 October at 08:32 Het iemand meer inligting hieroor...?? Did you know....

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During the Boer War when things weren't looking great for Lord Kitchener, he requested a group of aboriginal trackers be bought over from Australia to South Africa to assist in hunting down Boer guerrillas who were proving to be elusive. Subsequently 50 or so were rounded up and shipped over. They were never officially indoc-trinated into the forces as such, they were taken over to South Africa under the title of "horse carer's". This fact is important as you'll see. They were used with great effect and tracked down many of the "enemy" and many of the English soldiers as well who'd gotten lost, etc. They became a small force to be reckoned with.

When the war was over the allied soldiers were shipped home to Australia, but not the trackers. As they weren't officially under the realm of her majesty's army, they were then refused entry due to the "white Australia policy" which was in effect at the time. If you haven't heard about this policy, If you weren't white, you couldn't come in. The government wouldn't allow them to come home. Nothing was ever heard from them again and no follow up effort to find them was ever made. Their ancestors are still in South Africa somewhere, possibly unaware they have Australian roots.

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Bokser: Hennie de Beer: Elize Knoetze

Hennie de Beer was 'n oudpolisieman en oudbokser. 'n Baie goeie bokser en polisieman. Hy was een van Kallie se afrigters en hulp-afrigters in sy eie boks-era, amateur en professioneel. Hennie is oorlede en sy begrafnis is Donderdag 22 / 10 om 1300 vanuit die Hervormde Kerk, Krokodilweg 7, Theresapark, Pretoria Noord.

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Nostalgie

Die jong sersant, met die groot strepe, is Quintin D Papenfus. Foto in vroeë 1960’s

geneem.

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Filler

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South African Police Hall of Fame

Nelis Prins shared Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD's photo. 18 October at 08:48

Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD 18 October at 07:00

History Sunday. Gugulethu outside Cape Town 1985 (photo credit - Louise Gubb)

Gavin Tischendorf shared Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD's post. 18 October at 07:31

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Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD added 2 new photos. 18 October at 06:30

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History Sunday. 1976 Uprising in Images, Cape Town. More images in the link. http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/news/1976-uprising-images-cape-town

Casper Steyn 15 October at 10:15

My eerste grensdiens: Oos-Caprivi: Katima Mulilo vanaf 5-01-1972 tot 04-1972: Caper Steyn

Gestewel en gespoor, balsak oor die skouers en dog tag om die nek , R1 in die hand - Staatseiendom. Met Herklaas, die troepedraer op die plaaslike vliegveld Mpatsha aangekom. Vliegveld net groot genoeg vir die Herklaas om te land en op te styg.

Dit is groen, digte bosveld en snikkend warm.

Op basis aangekom was ons sersante ingedeel in seksies met sy manne. Voor ons vertrek na die grens het ons 'n paar dae in die Polisiekollege deurgebring vir die nodige inspuiting en so het ek ook sers Wessels ontmoet en bevriend geraak. Ons het saam op die Hoofbasis agtergebly.

Op dieselfde datum met aankoms op die basis het ek besig geraak en sou saam met die voertuig vertrek op 'n verkennings patrollie. Terwyl ek besig was om my magasyne te laai het ek gehoor dat die voertuig vertrek, en het nog agterna geskreeu dat hulle vir my moet wag, maar ek was te laat.

Ongeveer vyf minute later het ons 'n ontploffing gehoor en besef dat 'n landmyn getrap is. Ons het onmiddellik vertrek en op die gru-toneel aangekom en besef dat sers Koos Wessels noodlottig beseer is en 5 ander manne ernstig beseer is.

U kan self dink wat se effek dit op ons manne op die eerste dag van grensdiens gehad het - die grootste hartseer en trauma was die verlies en ernstige besering van die manne deur die lafhartigheid van die vyand, maar hierdie gebeure het ons nie onder gekry nie, ons moes voortgaan met die pligte waarvoor ons opgeroep was.

Die eerste week of wat het ons met alle versigtigheid en paraatheid ons patrollies gedoen, maar soos polisieman se kind is, het ons ander planne beraam met die voertuig kaplyn-patrollie.

Ons het 2 Ford 4 x 4 bakkies gebruik - voorste voertuig was gebruik as 'n spook voertuig, onbeman en verbind met 'n lyn na die agterste voertuig waarop ons manne gery het. Die voorste voertuig was gebruik om landmyne af te trap. Die lyn verbinding was gebruik om voertuig te stop wanneer dit uit die tweespoor sandpad loop, of bome wat deur die olifante oor die pad gestoot was om skade te vermy.

Gedurende Maart dieselfde tydperk op dieselfde grenslyn is serst Riekert met sy hond noodlottig beseer en 7 man ernstig beseer.

In ligter luim: Ontspanning: Swem in die Zambezi met 'n man en R1 wat uitkyk hou vir krokodille wat mag aanval. Slange en apies gevang vir troeteldiere in die basis.

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Met Generaal Dillon se besoek moes ons die hond met die naam van "Kxxxr" 'n ander naam gee of verwyder aangesien die naam nie aanvaarbaar was nie. Die wildsbok moes ons vir 'n plaaslike polisieman skenk, die apies in die basis was tydens sy besoek in balsakke toegezip of elders buite die basis vasgemaak totdat hy vertrek.

Ons het graag in ons ledige tye na die radio omroepster Esme Everhard se boodskappe na die “Manne in Uniform” geluister. Radio Zambia se opvangs was baie duidelik - advertensie :"Nu-gaga-et" (nugget) for brighter, whiter shoes, of: "Here follows the news for Mr & Mrs Khaunda and their most beautiful daughter - no news for today, only music".

Wie kan nog die "Rogue" embleem op die blikkie bier onthou? Daar is so baie wat ek graag sal wil deel, as ek maar net 'n skrywer was. Ek sal graag van ander manne wil hoor oor hulle ervarings van dieselfde grenslyn. Dit laat 'n mens 43 jaar terugdink aan baie gevaarlike tye, maar goeie tye.

Soos een van ons kollegas opgemerk het "dat jy nooit weer hierdie tye sal belewe nie, dit kom slegs een keer in 'n leeftyd voor", en dit is so waar!

Die mense wat die ergste geraak was is die geliefdes tuis. Ons het elke twee weke pos ontvang - dis OU nuus en dan was jou pos oopgemaak en gesensor - geen telefoon verbinding nie. Slegte nuus was slegs deur die kapelaan oorgedra. 'n Paar foto's ingesluit - nie duidelik nie, ons moes skelm foto's neem want geen kameras was toegelaat nie.

SALUUT aan al die manne wat deel was van dienste gelewer aan ons grense en die wat die duurste tol betaal het.

Die opmerking: “Ons het elke twee weke pos ontvang - dis OU nuus en dan was jou pos oopgemaak en gesensor.” – Kan iemand hierdie stelling bevestig. SO ver my kennis strek is geen SAP-lede se pos gesensor nie?

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Tiny Nortje, Gavin Tischendorf, Piet Van Zyl and 16 others like this.

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Tiny Nortje Sibinda 1972 Sept – Nov: Julle het geen landmyne vir ons gelaat nie. Jy en Ferdi Vermaak was suinig - smile emoticon - Ford-bakkie, sandsakke en conveyer belt agterop

Casper Steyn Dankie Tiny . Ek kan nie onthou of daar ander gevalle was nie .

Tiny Nortje Net voor ek en jy, Dobbin en Henning en Kapt v Eeden Ferdi was op die voertuig waarop die twee lede gesterf het V Eeden a booby trap

Alida van Tonder Casper kan jy onthou of daar 'n Frans van Tonder saam met julle was? Ek het die lid, Henning se stukkie horlosie band wat Frans van die grens af gebring het. Hy is in 1991 oorlede in motorongeluk. Asb. Alida van Tonder.

Alta Geldenhuys Ons was in daar die tyd permanent daar gestasioneer Onthou vir Bobby van Eden soos gister, Hy was n huisvriend

Casper Steyn Alida , jammer - ek kan nie onthou nie --te lank gelede .

Casper Steyn Tiny , dankie - dit kom nou so stadig terug in my geheue . Kapt v Eeden se geval was ʼn vuurwapen wat teen ʼn boom gestaan het en hy die wapen opgetel het .

Tiny Nortje so iets Casper Steyn dinge vervaag met tyd

Pierre Johan Prinsloo Tiny Nortje is Dobbin en Henning nie in 71 Mei oorlede nie ?

Tiny Nortje Pierre Johan Prinsloo Ferdi Vermaakt sal die regte datum onthou

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Pierre Johan Prinsloo Dankie Tiny.

Kingsley Holgate: Hennie Heymans

14 October at 20:13

He was in the Police College during 1964 - he was stationed in Natal - I remember him...

How adventurer, 69, trekked 5,600 miles to find true Heart of Africa

EXCLUSIVE: Eccentric explorer Kingsley Holgate, the most travelled man in Africa, told MailOnline of his most epic expedition yet - the journey to the 'Heart of Africa'. DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

Henry Beling, Mike van Aardt, Willem D. du Plooij and 29 others like this.

Kapt JJ van Rooyen: JJ van Rooyen

JJ van Rooyen14 October at 15:26 · Cape Town

Trots op my Pa!

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Nelis Prins shared Zulu Zulu Golf's photo. 11 October at 08:54

Like Comment Marius Morland, Francois Beirowski, Casper Steyn and 55 others like this.

1985: Durban SAP XV: JJ van Rooyen

Koerantuitknipsel van Durban Polisie se 1ste span. – 1985. My Pa is in die 3de foto besig om die ‘tackle’ te maak.

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You, Tiny Nortje, Piet Van Zyl, Danie Putter and 11 others like this.

Comments

Phill Theron – sien foto onder

JJ van Rooyen with Russell Edmunds and Attie Voigt

6 October at 11:42 · Cape Town

Port Natal se 1ste span. Durban Polisie. My Pa sit voor in die middel.

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You, Vick McPherson, Piet Van Zyl, Danie Putter and 17 others like this.

Comments

Leigh Bekker Now that was a side

Russell Edmunds Hey.. What a cool pick... Times gone by. Proof that I did play at least some sport in my time.

Michelle Kim McLeod Attie Voigt

Francois-Kerry Gunter Ken 'n aantal van die manne en het saam met van hulle gewerk en skool gegaan.

Jeremy Marten What year would this be guys?

Russell Edmunds 1989. @ Woodburn stadium.

Boela Snyman Was saam op meganiese kursus in '78 in Benoni.

JJ van Rooyen

23 September at 12:52 · Edited

Kapt JJ van Rooyen (60)

My Pa word vandag 60 jaar oud! Hy was Kaptein Koos van Rooyen van die Durban Polisie. Vanaand braai ons en vier sy lewe as 'n pa en as oupa. Wie kan hom onthou van die polisie dae?

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Vick McPherson, Christo Giani, Marius Morland and 146 others like this.

Comments View 36 more comments

Marinda Kruger Geluk met di verjaardag Koos geniet jou spesiale dag

Marlene Eloff Ek onthou hom baie goed. Ons het in die huis met die 2 tennisbane by Greenwood Park polisiestasie gebly. Hy was n Speurder - ek onthou ook die blou Toyota wat hy as sy amptelike voertuig gebruik het. Dra asb ons gelukwense aan hom oor (Marlene en Louis Eloff)

Jan Van Greunen Hallo Koos, ek het al met jou seun oor jou gesels .....ek kan nou nie eers se jy lyk goed nie weens die ou foto. Ja baie dinge het gebeur sedert Brighton se dae, Ek kan nie glo ek is soveel ouer as jy nie. Lekker verjaar, jou seun lyk nes jy ........nogal jammer! (heh=heh)

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JJ van Rooyen4 September

My Pa sit voor 3de van die regterkant. Groot passie vir rugby! Wie ken van die ander manne in die foto?

Benjamin Rensburg, Piet Van Zyl, Brenda Marais and 21 others like this.

Comments View 5 more comments

Maruis Schutte Mmmm....... kol Bruwer, my DK

JJ van Rooyen Wie sal foto's hê van hulle wedstryde? Ek opsoek na foto's van die rugbyklub se wedstryde in die 80's. 1983-1985 Durban

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Ray Ducray Bobby Watkins good loose forward played for Natal U20. Eighth man or flank.

Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit / Internal Stability Division: Gavin Tischendorf

Gavin Tischendorf shared Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD's photo.

9 October at 10:29

Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD

9 October at 10:09 · Edited

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR PAGE.

I am pleasantly surprised that our page is doing so well, didn’t think people were interested anymore. I started this page fo...

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View 1 more comment

Brett Scheepers http://www.news24.com/.../Train-carriages-on-fire-at...

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Train carriages on fire at Muizenburg station

NEWS24.COM

Like · Reply · Remove Preview · 1 · 9 October at 11:05

Gavin Tischendorf The countries money burning away

Lizette Venter Salute!!!!

Marina Van Tonder Die foto sê baie.

Like · Reply · 9 October at 18:08

Draped SAP Coffins

Gavin Tischendorf shared Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD's photo.4 October at 10:36

Afdeling Binnelandse Stabiliteit - Internal Stability Division - Abs/ISD

Many died fighting for/under this flag, this is the reason that many of us honor this flag. We cannot be held responsible for the politics of the day, we are not politicians. We that live must take responsibility for the memories of those that died doing their

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duty, because taking responsibility was what we did back then. The sad part is if you look at your old college platoon photo; someone on that photo probably was killed on duty, we all knew someone (or more) that was killed on duty.

We have to be careful that time, others that don't care for history or have little, doesn't swallow us up and forget us!

You, Glenn Elsden, Paul Greyling, Dave Baker and 49 others like this.

Comments View 1 more comment

Dirk Swart It was hard losing your colleague and best friend, they will always be remembered

Col Alwyn Lesch: Most popular posting: 366 “hits” & stil going stron

Andrew Lesch, 5 March 2014 85 vandag

Gerhard Pieters, Vick McPherson, Boet Meintjes and 363 others like this.

Sgt Lucas Majozi DCM : Dolf de Bruin

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Dolf de Bruin

27 September at 11:06

A member of the police be remembered. Salute. A true South African hero - Cpl. Lucas Majozi DCM

A very notable South African hero. The highest award gained by an African soldier in the Second World War was the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) awarded to a stretcher-bearer, Lucas Majozi (1916...

DICKENS2015.WORDPRESS.COM

You, Piet Van Zyl, JJ van Rooyen, Willie du Plessis and 21 others like this.

Deon van Vuuren Salute

Like · Reply · 27 September at 18:17

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Polisie Mag: Kobus Botha

Kobus Botha,19 September, Polisie MAG!!

You, Vick McPherson, Boet Meintjes, Jan Blackie and 166 others like this.

ChrisLozinda van den Heever Oom Blackie Swart jou yster

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Willem Smit Blackie Swart Wes-Rand honde eenheid

Kobus Botha Watter jaar was dit??

Evard Wasmuth good old days

Willem Smit Petrus du Preez,wa is Blackie,deesdae,Tracker?

ChrisLozinda van den Heever Afgetree

Werner Schulze Die dae toe jy nog honde manne gekry het met regte honde. Vandag is dit sekuriteitswagte in polisie uniform met baster honde wat nie weet wat beteken "rim hom!" Nie....

Henk van Heerden Kobus...dis ons jare so laat 80's........Honde manne was YSTERS...

Jaco Buckle Goeie ou dae

Kobus Botha Onthou die goeie ou dae met my Yankee kar en n Delta kar in Johannesburg saam op soek na "stolens"! Goeie, goeie dae!!

Jaco Buckle Die ou GTI golf

Piet Nel Met Discipline

Kobus Botha En XR6'e en Skylines Jaco Buckle!

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Henk van Heerden En toe die OPEL BOSS en VW GTI........

Norman Kendall Best years of my life

David Jeffree Ja lekker ou dae ...maar honde manne praat nie uit nie .....en het altyd bymekaar gestaan .... ek mis dit baie

Crystal-ann Hill What a sexy uniform think sa police was so good in my day

Hermanus Smith Ysters salute

JJ van Rooyen: 15 September · Edited

Rugbyoefening...Durban Polisie in die 80s! Wie herken van die manne? My Pa JJ (Koos) van Rooyen en sy twee goeie vriende is in die foto, Louis le Grange en Deon Crouse.

You, Bob Timms, Piet Van Zyl, Willie du Plessis and 6 others like this.

Alta Shafaian Fard Peens en Dave Baker

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Gustav Van Rooyen Deon Peens

JJ van Rooyen Wie sal foto's he van hulle wedstryde? Ek opsoek na foto's van die rugbyklub se wedstryde in die 80's. 1983-1985

“AP” Stemmet : HTSK: Sekretariaat van die Staatsveiligheidsraad Beste Hennie Soos jy bewus is kon ek gedurende my blitsbesoek aan Pretoria slegs by enkele mense aandoen. Daarom waardeer ek jou moeite om 'n ontmoeting tussen my en Eugene de Kock te reël. Dit het baie vir my beteken aangesien ek en Petro huisvriende met sy ouers was toe hy nog 'n kind was. Ons paaie het ook in die operasionele gebied gekruis - ek as soldaat en hy as 'n polisieman. Dit is 'n ander storie. Die venue was perfek. Pat Smith en sy seun se gasvryheid was oorweldigend. Pat se plek is eintlik 'n interessante museum en ek het die volgende dag familie en vriende daarheen geneem - vir ure se genot. Hennie, miskien raak ek oud maar my besoek aan Pretoria het my gedagtes op ver paaie van die verlede geneem. Die gedagtes aan die onlangse oorlye van my en jou kollegas by die SSVR het seker daartoe bygedra. Name van mense soos:

Andre van Deventer,

Kiewiet Geldenhuys,

Pierre le Clus,

Frans Erasmus, en

Bill Sass kom by 'n mens op. Ons eer hul nagedagtenis. 'n Mens kan net dankbaar wees vir die gehalte kollegas en leiers met wie ons oor jare heen kon saamwerk. Dit is nie algemeen bekend dat die SSVR saamgestel is uit amptenare van 'n verskeidenheid departemente en dat die siviele departemente dikwels in die meerderheid was en ons dus nie oorheers is deur die veiligheidsmagte soos dikwels beweer is nie. Mense wat na ons toe gesekondeer is, was op enkele uitsondering na van hoë gehalte. Miskien het ons kosmopolitaanse samestelling bygedra tot ons suksesse en het ons baie geleer van verskillende departemente se kulture. Ekself was besonder geseënd om onder reuse te dien, in my loopbaan by Justisie, die SA Weermag en die SSVR. My burgermagloopbaan het oor meer as 54 jaar gestrek en ek was bevoorreg om meer as een keer in uniform my land in die

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operasionele gebied te dien. As ek dink aan die kwaliteit leiers op die front is ek nie verbaas dat ons die Russe, Kubane, Oos Duitsers, ens, ens, in Angola goed op hul swernoot gegee het nie. Die geskiedenis sal nog bewys dat ons 'n reuse rol gespeel het in die ondergang van die gewese Sowjet Unie. Selfs mense wat 'n respek het vir die geskiedenis, alhoewel hulle geen liefde het vir ons gewese veiligheidsmagte nie, doen dit reeds. Party is nogal baie bekend. Baie mense skryf boeke oor die sogenaamde grensoorlog maar ek voel dat nie genoeg krediet gegee word aan die leiers van die veiligheidsmagte van daardie tyd nie. Ek was bevoorreg om onder top offisiere te dien en wil nie name noem nie maar twee hoofde van die S A Weermag staan egter uit: Generaal Constand Viljoen (met respek Stofstrepie genoem) en generaal Jannie Geldenhuys. Onder hul en ander se leiding is duisende offisiere opgelei. Met hierdie opleiding as basis, het hulle nie net op veiligheidsgebied presteer nie, maar ook hul merk in die siviele lewe gemaak. Kyk byvoorbeeld wat sê generaal Jannie Geldenhuys: "As 'n mens die regte dinge reg doen, kan dit grootliks vergoed vir onvoorsiene teëspoed. Dit is hoekom ons al ons veldtogte gewen het. Ons mense was topgehalte en hulle was goed opgelei" Ek wil byvoeg: Soms tot perfeksionisme. Ek is trots op die rolletjie wat ek in en saam met die veiligheidsmagte gespeel het. Hennie, ons was bevoorreg om met soveel mense van kwaliteit in die Sekretariaat van die Staatsveiligheidsraad te dien. Die storie van die SSVR is nog nooit vertel nie en sal moontlik nooit vertel word nie. Net mense wat dink hulle weet van die binnewerkinge, skryf dik boeke waarin terloops en soms neerhalend na ons verwys word. Moet ons kwaad word of lag? Sover verkies ek laasgenoemde maar brom soms. Dat President PW Botha soms vir ons, en net vir ons, geluister het, weet hulle nie. Die rol wat die SSVR gespeel het om amptenare, die publiek en selfs politici voor te lig en op te lei kry nie erkenning nie. Jy sal nooit iets lees oor opleiding en leiding wat ons gegee het oor strategie, toekomsstudies, onderhandelingsvaardighede, rewolusionêre oorlog, strategiese bestuur, inligtingsvertolking, ens, ens nie. Dit word verswyg. Oor ons bydrae op die terrein van toekomsstudies (wat is dit? is ons gevra toe ons daarmee begin het) is daar darem met lof verwys deur akademici soos professor Philip Spies van die Instituut vir Toekomsstudies van Stellenbosch en Prof Nick Segal van die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Laasgenoemde verwys daarna met lof in sy akademiese werk "Breaking the Mould: The Role of Scenarios in Shaping South Africa's future". Ongelukkig is die SSVR met onbehoorlike spoed vernietig en nooit toegelaat om 'n rol te speel "in shaping South Africa's future nie". Hoekom is van ons of geeneen van die mense wat ons opgelei het by Kodesa gebruik nie? Sê die resultate vir ons iets? Of is ek verkeerdelik krities? Gelukkig kan ons met trots terugkyk op die rol wat ons gespeel het. Ten minste het ons leiers ons goed opgelei en het ons integriteit gehad.

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Groete A P STEMMET Beste "AP" Baie dankie. Dankie vir jou mooi woorde! Genl Viljoen, genl Geldenhuys en dr Dreyer van der Merwe: Genl Constant Viljoen: U ter inligting. Dreyer: Afskrif ter info - sal u asb onder genl Jannie Geldenhuys se aandag bring? ("AP" was hoof van die Tak: Strategiese Kommunikasie by die SSVR. Ek plaas diè berig deur "AP" en foto's tydens sy besoek aan Pretoria in die eerskomende, Nongqai Vol 6 No 7. Kommentaar deur Hennie Heymans "AP" was ook ere-kolonel van die Regt Oranjerivier. Ons as lede van die SA Veiligheidsmagte is baie dank verskuldig aan mense soos genl Constant Viljoen en genl Jannie Geldenhuys. Hierdie week het ek en genl Geldenhuys besoek afgelê by genl Denis Earp. Ons het weereens oor die rol van die veiligheidsmagte, tydens die rewolusionêre oorlog, gesels. Ons het oor ons lugmag gesels wat onder moeilike omstandighede puik diens gelewer het. As polisieman was ek by die SSVR gestasioneer - wat 'n ervaring om onder mense soos genl Andre van Deventer en "AP" Stemmet te dien. Ek het 'n deur 'n geweldige leerkurwe by die SSVR gegaan. "AP" baie dankie! Ons het in die VM'e baie onnodige kritiek verduur, selfs van mense wat baie beter moes geweet het. Baie groete Hennie Heymans

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Eugene de Kock en “AP” Stemmet. HBH was bevoorreg om die gesprek op band op

te neem!

Genl’s Denis Earp, Jannie Geldenhuys en Dave Fell. Dave doen ‘n PhD oor MK en

hy het met genl Earp gesels oor die rol van MK se lugvleuel. Foto geneem deur HBH

op 20 Oktober 2015.

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Genl Jannie Geldenhuys op 18 Oktober 2015 – HBH

Ysters! (Foto: Dr Dreyer van der Merwe)

Genl Constant Viljoen

“Baie dankie vir die waardering. Dit was vir my n lewenservaring om met julle almal

saam in die juk te trek. Ek sê so baie kere dat van my grootste dankbaarheid teenoor

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ons Here was dat Hy my paaie met sulkes laat kruis het. Op mens se oudag is

hierdie kameraadskap van daardie tydperk van besondere waarde. Wat nou in ons

land aangaan is tog bewys dat ons as veiligheidsmagte ʼn beter RSA vir ons

bevolking in stand gehou het. Jammer ons politieke hoofde het so klei getrap!”

Justisie: Bert Parsons: “AP” Stemmet

Beste Hennie Ek het jou vertel van ons ou vriend Bert Parsons se oorlye. In sy rol as wetsopsteller was hy goed bekend aan kommissarisse van polisie en ander senior offisiere. Voorbeelde is kommissarisse Keevy, Gous, Prinsloo en De Witt, ook Dolf van Vuuren. Ek was gelukkig om hom een dag voor sy dood in Pretoria te besoek. Hy was 91 jaar oud. Ek het ietsie vir sy kinders oor hom geskryf wat ek hiermee vir jou stuur. AP STEMMET

Benjamin Joubert Parsons: Justisie

My vriend, mentor en leier - selfs leidsman as ek wou dwaal. 'n Onderskatte

regsgeleerde.

Ek skryf hierdie nie as 'n huldeblyk nie maar as iets om sy kinders te ondersteun in 'n

donker tyd.

Bert Parsons is, nadat hy homself in die landdrosafdeling onderskei het, na Pretoria

verplaas as een van die grondleggers van Justisie se Akademie waar 'n menigte

regsgeleerdes oor die jare opgelei is. Party het selfs regters geword. Hier het hy

homself bewys as 'n meester in die Siviele Prosesreg. Die gevolg was dat hy na

Justisie se hoofkantoor verplaas is met die hooftaak om orde te skep in die

landdroshowe reg oor die land heen waar chaos geheers het in die hofreëls. Die

gevolg was die eenvormige Landdroshofreëls wat steeds na meer as veertig jaar as

baken vir hom bly staan het. Vele wetsontwerpe het uit sy pen gevloei. Baie het die

tye deurstaan en is vandag nog op die wetboek. Inderdaad meesterstukke.

Oom Bert was my regsdosent, afdelingshoof, vriend en leier.

Moeilike begrippe het hy in ons studente ingehamer en as afdelingshoof en

wetsopsteller het hy suiwer leiding gegee. Ons onderhoriges in die Departement is

geleer om soos hy suiwer en klinies oor die regte te dink.

Die geringste foutjie het sy wakker oog nie ontsnap nie. Hy het die bynaam:

FABIAN OF SCOTLAND YARD verdien omdat hy selfs 'n verkeerde komma in 'n

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lywige memorandum kon ruik. Ministers, selfs Eerste Ministers, het sy volmaakte

produkte op hul tafels gekry. Die Regering het hom selfs vir Kommissies van

Ondersoek gebruik. 'n Mens dink veral aan die belangrike Parsons-kommissie in die

neëntien tagtigs.

Toe 'n nuwe arbeidsbedeling vir die Republiek van Suid-Afrika in die vroeë 1970's

ingestel moes word, is Bert Parsons weer nader geroep. Behalwe vir die

voorbereidingswerk, was hy een van die eerste aanstellings op die Arbeidsregbank.

Voorwaar 'n baanbreker op vele terreine.

As gemeenskapsleier het hy hom ook onderskei op te veel terreine om op te noem.

Ek noem slegs een: Sy godsdiens. Hy was een van die stigters van die Gemeente

Haakdoorn. Trouens, hy was ons leier en eerste hoof ouderling van die gemeente.

Deur moeilike tye, selfs sonder predikant, en in 'n gemeente met karige bronne, het

hy voor geloop. Hierdie gemeente is baie, baie dank aan hom verskuldig. As ons by

die Kerkraad vasgehaak het, het hy die leiding geneem. Selfs oor geloofsake het hy

in die Kerkraad en elders leiding gegee. Toe 'n predikant eendag nie opdaag nie,

het Oom Bert gepreek. Later daag die predikant wel op en ons moes na 'n tweede

preek luister. Toe kom sit die duiwel mos op my skouer en maak my wys Oom Bert

se preek was die beste!

Ek is seker sy kinders, kleinkinders en agterkleinkinders sal hom eer soos hy sy ou

vader van Barkly-Oos geëer het.

Vir my het 'n reuse seder geval.

Groete en sterkte vir julle almal. Wees trots op sy nagedagtenis.

“AP” en Petro Stemmet

Boek: Trou tot die Dood: Genl Johan van der Merwe Geagte leser, Dis met groot vreugde dat ons kan aankondig dat TROU TOT DIE DOOD TOE - DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE POLISIEMAG deur genl. Johan van der Merwe herdruk is nadat dit vroeër vir 'n lang tyd heeltemal uitverkoop en dus uit druk was. In April vanjaar het BoekeBeeld die waarde van dié boek herbevestig: "Dit is soveel waardevoller vir memoires wanneer die leser subtiel bewus word van ’n intelligente wysheid, eerder as wat dit tot vervelens toe uitgespel word... Vergelyk, byvoorbeeld, die oudpolisiekommissaris Johan van der Merwe se boek, TROU TOT DIE DOOD TOE, oor min of meer dieselfde tydperk. Van der Merwe is dalk ideologies onder verdenking, maar niemand sal ooit daaraan twyfel dat hy met sy vinger op die sneller en sy hart in die loopgraaf geleef het nie. Daar is ’n geloofwaardigheid en integriteit wanneer Van der Merwe sy saak namens die SAP stel." - BoekeBeeld, 28 April 2015

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"Die boek TROU TOT DIE DOOD TOE is ‘n belangrike bron vir navorsers. Daar is weinig boeke wat deur die ou SAP-mense geskryf is en nog minder oor die SAP se rol gedurende die oorgangsperiode in SA." - prof. Annette Seegers, Dept. Politieke Wetenskap, Universiteit van Kaapstad Dis vir ons 'n selfopgelegde taak om by Uitgewery Praag te sorg dat ons boeke publiseer wat vir die leser 'n genuanseerde en ingeligte blik op die samelewing en op die geskiedenis bied, eerder as die politiek korrekte clichés en halwe waarhede wat vandag so volop is. So 'n boek is TROU TOT DIE DOOD TOE - DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE POLISIEMAG. Indien u hoegenaamd in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis, asook die chaotiese magsoordrag van die Nasionale Party aan die ANC belangstel, is genl. Johan van der Merwe se outobiografie 'n móét. Hy stel die feite van die ANC en SAKP se terreur, wat deurgaans deur die polisie beveg is, asook die belangrikste operasies waarby Eugène de Kock se omstrede Vlakplaaseenheid betrokke was. Terwyl die ANC-SAKP se terroriste met hul motorbomme en aanvalle op onskuldiges voor die voet kwytgeskeld is, het die NP-politici die polisie vir die wolwe gegooi en moes hulle 'n moeilike regstryd voor Biskop Desmond Tutu se Waarheids- en versoeningskommissie voer. Anders as joernaliste wat bloot oor ons verlede spekuleer, het Van der Merwe dit self ervaar en baie van die ongewilde en moeilike besluite geneem. U kan die boek aanlyn op ons webblad bestel by: http://www.praag.co.za/lists/lt.php?id=MEoIAVxKUwAMHQVRAgg of bloot op dié e-pos antwoord waarna 'n lid van die PRAAG-span u behulpsaam sal wees. Titel: TROU TOT DIE DOOD TOE - DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE POLISIEMAG Skrywer: Johan van der Merwe (voormalige kommissaris van polisie) Eerste uitgawe: 2010 Herdruk: Julie 2015 Uitgewer: PRAAG ISBN 978-1-920128-08-1 Aantal bladsye: 432 Prys: R280 (BTW ingesluit) Met vriendelike groete, Dr. Dan Roodt Uitgewer

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Generaal Colin Steyn: Dawn Kellerman

Dawn Elizabeth Kellerman with George P Kellerman and Hennie Heymans 19 October at 18:25 ·

Generaal Collin Steyn, (middel), Hennie Heymans links en George P Kellerman regs. Dit was 'n blye weersiens. Ons het heerlik gekuier by DIE PLEK.

You, Charles Ross, Gerhard Pieters, Japie Terblanche and 52 others like this.

Hennie Heymans Ja dis jare, der jare gelede wat ons mekaar leer ken het

Buks Bluff Botha YSTERS!!!!

Fanie Bouwer Ek hou van jou hemp, Hennie! Wat dink die generaal van sy opvolgers in KZN?

Hennie Heymans Hy uiter nie 'n woord nie, Fanie Bouwer. Ek was verlede week by 'n kongres oor die SAPD - daar het ek nuwe beginsels geleer bv ... "frontier

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policing, gender policing, evasive policing" en vele meer - "evasive policing" het bv op jou vraag en op Khayalitsha betrekking. Die SAPS-syfers, per polisiestasie, is ook interessant:

Kaapstad - 541,

Paarl - 271,

Stellenbosch - 218;

Harare - 102,

Khayalitsha - 294,

Lingelethu - 177;

Worcester - 365;

Woodstock - 157.

Gedink jy sal belangstel in die getalsterktes.

Fanie Bouwer Ek was op my tyd SB op Stellenbosch, Woodstock en Khayelitsha. Lingelethu-Wes het ek dmv die munisipaliteit laat bou in die laat 80's. Die getalsterktes was omtrent 'n 1/3. Ja die nuwe 'gesegdes' tiekel my nogal (dit wat jy bo noem). In my tyd het ons bloot misdaadvoorkoming ordentlik gedoen en die speurders het professioneel ondersoek. Lg is een van die beste metodes om misdadigers aan bande te lê. Die fency benaminge is net dit.

Hennie Heymans Ek is verbaas oor die groot getalle lede - Laingsburg het 53! Leeugamka en die plekke wat net drie lede gehad het, het nou tientalle!

Fanie Bouwer Die minister van die Wes-Kaapse polisie kla gedurig oor ons getalsterktes. Hy weet nie waarvan hy praat nie. Tot 2010 (sokkertoernooi) is die getalsterkte van die SAPD van 130 000+ na bykans 200 000 opgestoot. So, hoe en waar word hulle dan aangewend?

Hennie Heymans Fanie Bouwer vra ek ook? As daar so baie lede is waarom is die misdaad so hoog? Wat doen hulle. O ja indien voetpatrollie gedoen word moet hulle 10 wees in Khayalitsha - wat vertel dit vir jou?

Fanie Bouwer Kyk, Khayelitsha is leeuwêreld. Ek onthou hoe ek eendag daar al die swart lede in die agterplaas daar bymekaar getrek het ek vertel hulle hoe dat ek verbaas is dat hulle, hulle eie mense swakker behandel teenoor die wit lede.

Riaan Morne Cronje Gen. Steyn het jare terug vir my n "dankie" brief geskryf... Het dit nog in my persoonlike rekords... Dankie Generaal!

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Casper Steyn Ek kan Generaal goed onthou . Tydens ʼn skietvoorval op Kwambonambi het generaal ook metaalverklikkers getoets waarop ek aan generaal gesê het om die toestel op my te toets aangesien ek ʼn paar weke voor hierdie voorval in dieselfde gebied skrapnel opgedoen het in ʼn handgranaat ontploffing asook die polisie helikopter beskadig was . Generaal het die toestel op my getoets en positief getoets en gesê - die ding werk waaragtig . Goeie dae en goeie leiers gehad .

Kasoepie van Niekerk Generaal, Hennie en die ander mag die tydjie vir julle geseënd wees. Ek kan sien julle geniet die samesyn!

Koevoet Story: Marius Brand

Marius Brand to Hennie Heymans 3 October at 09:58 ·

Koevoet Story

During May 1985 the SA Policemen withdrew from border duty on the Namibian border with Angola in Owamboland where we as Koevoet members were permanently stationed. ZD under the command of Anton Adamson and myself with the group ZA under my command were given the task to protect the Police basis in the West of Owamboland, Tzandi, Okanjera and Onesi. These basis would be manned by skeleton staff only till the Namibian Police could take it over.

So being a disciplined dedicated Policeman I gave my all to do just that. Since the rumours were running high that SWAPO planned to attack them since it was almost full moon as well. During the day we tried whatever we could to pick up tracks on the different infiltration roots but because of the hard ground in the West, the large numbers of residents staying on these infiltration roots and the pro SWAPO support in this area where Sam Njoma grew up, it was very difficult to pick up tracks readily.

At night we would be stalking the area on foot. Visiting all the bush pubs, called cuca shops, hoping to stumble into SWAPO members or just to get information on the enemy’s whereabouts and movements. These were wonderful times. I thoroughly enjoyed these night patrols and got a different perspective on the people’s behaviour and SWAPO’s activities. The local people first got a huge fright when they bumped into us at night not knowing who we are and then would be much more open to talk and give information since about 80% of my soldiers would be wearing SWAPO’s captured armour at night, plus at that stage we were still wearing camo’s as well.

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It was very exciting stalking the bush hunting down SWAPO. The adrenaline were pumping and it was really a man’s world. Any moment we could walk into a large group of Freedom fighters and all hell will break loose, with us having a slight advantage with better equipment, night sights and the Casspirs looming nearby at about ten kilometres distance just waiting for us to signal for their support. But far enough so that the freedom fighters could not hear their engines running.

We would try and move as silently as we could. Send in a couple of Owambo guys to the resident huts to try and convince the locals that we were SWAPO. The funny thing is that the local people could pick up European people’s eyes. So we had to wear glasses when approaching the huts to hide our eyes. I enjoyed this very much and would roam the area for hours on end but eventually had to go back to one of the basis to go and get some rest for work the next day. I experienced that most Koevoet members did not enjoy night patrols as much as I did and many complained about working at night as well as day time as the traditional Koevoet habit was. But to me this was very special and throughout my career at Koevoet I did it as often as I could and as I specialised in doing it even resorted to only three members with me on these outings. I would take two permanent Owambo soldiers and an ex freedom fighter and really try to merge into the way freedom fighters would do it.

We were roaming the border with Angola now for the fourth day when we eventually picked up info of a large group in the area according to the informers last week. But I knew it was a tall story. These guys were close by. Unfortunately we got no more confirmations, could not lift any tracks and one of my four Casspirs broke down and I had to get spare parts to get it fixed from Oshakati about two hundred kilometres away. I knew these freedom fighters were just around the next corner boxed into some cluster of trees and would move out that night over the border because they knew we knew about their presence because of our movement and circling of the area.

So I had one change to ambush them that night on one of the infiltration roots as they ran for the border. Because of my presence and movement I knew there is only one place they could cross the asphalt road where there is a bridge over the water channel. Have a last drink there at the bush pub and run for the boarder. So that is where I will be roaming tonight. I called our radio command station At Ruancana, Z6 to ask for permission to put up an ambush right there that night. But first I needed to get spare parts to fix my Casspir and sent them back to go and protect the Police Basis. Needless to say the spares got late, we only fixed the Casspir after dark and then we had to run to get to the Police basis and could not set up the ambush.

The next day when I got to the crossing of the would have been ambush they have passed right there and forty clear pair of tracks were there to follow all the way to the border. The border was frozen so we could not go over and hunt them down. I could pull the hair out of my head. I was sick for days on end. How could I miss an opportunity like that that comes once in a life time! I mean this is why I was there with Koevoet. This was a dream that was supposed to come true and I missed the opportunity.

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Then about two years later we were chasing the last two freedom fighters of a special forces infiltration near Namatoni in the Etosha National Park at about four o’ clock the afternoon when we hit contact and killed both. We were now right at the eastern border of Owambo land when I just got this urge to go and sleep at Okalongo an Army basis in the west of Owambo about four hundred kilometres away. Anybody else would have told you I was nuts. There was just no logic to this move but somehow I believed Okalongo was going to get attacked that night. It took us awhile to get there and we only arrived after dark. I went inside to the basis commander and told him about my expectations and asked him to tell his mortar guys to just fire illuminating mortars if an attack would occur.

That night at about two the first “tchum” was heard. In split seconds I was up screaming commands. Starta, starta! Telling my drivers to start the Casspirs. But silence! Silence! Silence. Now what on earth. Was this now an attack or was it the army! I could not determine where that mortar came from because it exploded on the other side of the basis and could have been fired from anywhere. Sitting, waiting, finally going back to sleep to my total disgust. The next morning we found piles and piles of 60 mm mortars, 82 mm mortars, B10 bombs, RPG 7’s and many more explosive devises a mere 100 meters from us. So when I commanded my drivers to start the Casspirs and when they did the SWAPO guys saw that it was Koevoet and scrambled of in all directions over open pieces of land around Okalongo. They abandoned all their heavy metal to get away a soon as possible. Two hours later it started raining heavily and all tracks were washed away.

That next morning I could kick myself. Stupid, stupid. How could you. I have missed another opportunity that only comes once in a life time. How could I! Org, I was sick. I felt bad for days. We were ready. The hand breaks on the Casspirs were loosened. Ready to go. We had piles of illumination mortars packed out with lots of mortar launchers ready to be pumped. We would have caught them pants down. But somehow only caught their heavy metal piled up to be collected plus their tracks washed away and I could not even chase them over those vast open spaces. At least that would have given us some bonus on our smart move. Due to the fact that we would have been on their tails from day break on wet ground in wide open spaces we would have had a pretty good change of nailing them very early the next day. But with no tracks at all and still raining, chances was slim that we would even see one track. I just felt miserable. But had to accept. I have lost it again! We got into our Casspirs and drove off to Oshakati in silence. Nobody asked me why I drove all over Owambo to go and sleep at Okalongo, but neither did they ask me how did I missed forty freedom fighters a hundred meters away from where we slept in wide open spaces! I could and maybe would have cried if they did ask me!

Well third time lucky! Again I just knew Onangwêna was going to be “reffed” that Saturday night. Not for any reason at all. I just knew it. So again we were late, originally planning to sleep at Eenhana.

So again we arrived after dark. Parking without lights as silently as possible and prepared for an ambush. Loosened the hand breaks of the Casspirs, opened the lights. Oiled the guns, packed out the illuminating mortars and launchers. Prepared the guys in the basis and had a nice barbeque because we were expecting SWAPO

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between one and three in the morning. As we left for our beds I just asked the medic to go and make sure that the basis’ mortars were all set at three clicks for quick opening. The next moment they lighted up the whole area with about four mortars exploding in mid air. SWAPO saw the Koevoet Casspirs and up sticks and ran for their lives. An hour later they bombed Alpha tower and then ran for the safety of Namakundê, a FAPLA basis ten kilometres inside Angola. Third time lucky? No I have missed again and could just chase them into Namakundê the next morning at ten, again with a lot of mortars as souvenirs but no battle to prove that we were actually fighting one another.

Much later when I looked back and came to my senses, I realise that God was with me all the way. I could just see how He has used me to protect lives. I wanted to kill these people. But He had other plans. He gave me these ideas to go and do things without any reason at all because there were Christians in both camps. As I looked back during my time at Koevoet, I just saw how He has protected me dozens of times where I was supposed to be dead. How He miraculously saved and protected me from people shooting with machine guns at me. Where freedom fighters just had to pull the trigger of an RPG and I would have been blown to pieces.

One day I just knew I had to run at that moment. When I was five meters away, a freedom fighter exploded just behind me blowing him to dust. If I stayed with that freedom fighter one second longer, I would have been blown to pieces with him. Likewise He showed me in that first ambush in the west during 1985 that it would have been a blood bath because SWAPO was already on that ambush site. So who must He protect? He rather caused me to abandon the ambush and saved many lives.

Likewise with the situation at Okalongo and Onangwêna. I had so much more advance equipment and all He wanted me was to stop the people from getting killed or injured. So He threw a spanner in my works every time and warned SWAPO to get away but in the process they failed themselves to launch a proper attack against our people and nobody got injured. I can just say that God is awesome.

Throughout my Koevoet career I could just see how He was totally in control of my life. Protecting me all the way. Not because I was a better Christian then others or deserved it, but because Koevoet was part of my training for His Kingdom’s purposes with my life. Instead I was one of the most naughtiest members of Koevoet and needed a testimony for others who walk the same roads of life, to know that God loves us as well and want to use us to show His Greatness and Mercy to this lost world. Like Comment

Eiras Vermaak, Nollie Niehaus, Casper Steyn and 7 others like this.

Jan Ferreira Thanks for this testemony. God bless

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Hennie Groenewald Coin duties 13th March or May 1986 our base at Umungwelume was also “reffed” 00:45 with 12 mortars 50 enemy. God also intervened by causing a Cloud burst heavy rain so they could not continue their attack. With sunrise we learned that I had walked past one of them a few meters from the main gate. Till this day and forever I will be grateful.

Hennie Heymans Marius Brand - baie dankie die berig sal in die Nongqai verskyn. 'n Pragtige getuienis!

Hennie Heymans Marius Brand hoe lyk dit met 'n kort Christelike boodskappie vir ons lesers, asb?

Toffie Risk Amen!

Gertina van der Merwe Dis baie insiggewend - en ek geniet die staaltjies wat julle deel! Net maar n bewys die mens wik maar God beskik.

Stokperdjies: Dasse met Embleme: Koot Swanepoel

Koot Swanepoel · 5 dasse van Hospice Humansdorp bring die getal op 1,799 dasse met embleme. Hennie Heymans en Nico Frylinck julle is reg ons kan 2,000 haal voor einde van die jaar

Nico Frylinck Mooi Koot. Ek bring weer so 30 plus dasse volgende naweek saam.

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SAAF Chopper Boys 1964 - 1989: Jan Blackie

Begrafnis: Hajon Cronje: Jan Blackie

21 Oct 2015

Groot dankie aan Kmdt Willem Ratte en Colin Bowring, wat vandag onderskeidelik al die pad van Balmoral en Johannesburg gery het om 'n laaste eer te betoon aan Hojan Cronje. Dit was ten spyte van die hartseer omstandighede lekker om julle weer te sien. Ek het vandag ook die eer gehad om weer bietjie te gesels met Gen. Earp. Generaal Earp raak nou baie oud, maar hy en sy gade beskou dit as hulle plig om sulke geleenthede by te woon. Dit sê iets van sy en julle karakter en lojaliteit aan makkers van weleer. You, André Kritzinger and 10 others like this.

Jan Blackie Vandag ook weer my ou kollegas Marius Kymdell en Melt van Sittert gesien.

1920 – 1995: SAAF: The Pride of the Nation

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Chopper Ops: Allan Neill

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Allan Neill 14 October 2015 at 19:44: Getting ready for the Chopper Ops.

Jan Blackie, Bob Timms, Barrie Kruger and 20 others like this. Comments

Jan Blackie Vertel asb meer Allan.

Allan Neill Jan. This was during a tracker course that the Takies did. The object of the ops was to do a certain amount of patrols in various sectors of the Klaserie. To achieve certain objectives the Chopper was needed. Those Takies are much better trained than the SANDF (my opinion) and they are really a great bunch of guys. If I was called up again to present another tracker course with those guys from the STF I would go without hesitation.

Barrie Kruger Salute

Willem De Beer Takies is ysters ! Garth Calitz:

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Garth Calitz: Alo lll over Swartkops SAAF Memorial

14 October at 12:14: Thanks for the add

You, Jan Blackie, Dana Kruger, Ben Kruger and 27 others like this.

Manie Jansen Great photo of Alo lll over Skps. SAAF Memorial as well. Nice !

Nico Frylinck shared Ngonyama Photography's photo.

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Ngonyama Photography with Gabriella Trapido and 38 others 19 June 2014: ROOIVALK IN ACTION: Rooivalk firing her canons at ACD display at Rooiwal ©2014 Ngonyama Photography / Loftus Viljoen

Chopper Emblem: Jan Blackie

Jan Blackie Dankie Paul. Hier is die ‘chopper’ embleem waarvan ek gepraat het. Paul kon dit gelukkig opspoor. Sal ook baie bly wees as jy Brig. Gen. Monster Wilkens (R.I.V.) se uitensetting kan kry Paul.

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Philmar du Plessis, Ben Kruger and 12 others like this.

Manie Jansen Dobbel, Drank, D&%s en dan Werk ! Semper in Excretia = Altyd in die kxk !

Charlie Schoeman Sed alta variat (Slegs die diepte wissel).

Nico Frylinck

Manie Jansen Whahaha ! Mooi man.

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Stephan John: Sikorsky S64 Skycrane

Stephan John shared his photo: Sikorsky S64 Skycrane 3 October at 10:37

Stephan John What’s the name of this chopper Jan Blackie, Ben Kruger and 6 others like this.

Anton Marais Koos wye voete?.......

Andre Oosthuisen The military version is called the Sikorsky Ch54 Tarhe. The civilian version was called the Sikorsky S64 Skycrane.

Jan Blackie Also used for water "bombing" fires .....

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Alfie Wurth - SAAF Alo III.

Allan Neill

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Genl Basson

Genl Jannie, mev Basson, mev Marie Geldenhuys en genl (dr) Wouter Basson by

geleentheid van Wouter se verjaarsdag.

Ons SAW-generaals ... manne van staal ...

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Ja ... sug ... ons is ook nie meer wat ons voor die “oorlog” was nie ...

Genl en mev Basson en dr Dreyer van der Merwe

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Vernuftige speurwerk…

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Onbekende vliegtuig: Cheeta? Johannes Botha

Die Zarps op Parade: Johannes Botha

Watter rol sou die trompetter - voor links – speel?

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Kol Mike Du Toit: Staatsartillerie, Geheime Politie, OVS Politie en ZAP

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Hoofde van die SAW/SANW – Chiefs of the SADF/SANDF: Ryno Human

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Commissioners of Police: Ryno Human

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Koerantberig: Om oor te dink

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Another point to Ponder...

Ring Gun - not bad for 19th century

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Genl “Sterkhans” Dreyer

Foto: P du Preez Goeiemore Almal. Ek het generaal Dreyer gistermiddag (22 Oktober 2015) besoek. Hy het baie verswak sedert my vorige besoek. Die pyn in sy bors het in intensiteit toegeneem waarvoor die sterkte van die medikasie wat hy ontvang, vyfvoudig verhoog is. Hy het my herken en op die naam genoem en wou weet wat hoor ek van die “ander manne”. Ek het hom vertel van lede met wie ek onlangs gesprekke gehad het en groete laat weet het. Hy het feitlik deurentyd tydens my besoek en gesprek met Tannie Marietjie by hom in die kamer, toe oë gelê. As hy gepraat het, was dit skaars hoorbaar. Tannie Marietjie het my meegedeel dat dit sy kinders (Anemarie en Toesie) se wens is dat, as hul pa te sterwe sou kom, hy veras moet word en sy as in ‘n nis by die Voortrekkermonument geplaas moet word. Hulp vir die verkryging van ‘n nis by die Voortrekkermonument word aa Tannie Marietjie verleen. Voorts is dit die kinders se wens dat ‘n Koevoet-seremonie tydens ‘n roudiens vir hom gehou moet word. Toe ek hom totsiens gesê het, het hy met ‘n glimlag op die lippe gesê: “Ou Diekie, sê baie groete aan al die manne”.

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My boodskap gaan uit na julle! Groete. Dicks DIETRICHSEN

Oupa JJ van der Merwe: Dreyer van der Merwe

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Onthou u nog? Daan van der Watt

Grusaam: De Wet Potgieter

Henk van der Graaf en De Wet Potgieter afgeneem in Exclusive Books, Kollonade,

daar in Sinoville se geweste.

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Grusaam – Dit is ‘n baie interessante boek – enige mens wat in ons

misdaadgeskiedenis belangstel sal die boek geniet! Dit is ‘n aanwins vir die boekrak.

Waarom moet u die boek koop?

De Wet se ondersoekende skryfstyl is boeiend.

Delikate-sake word met eerlikheid en deernis aanbied.

Die boek is nie sensasioneel nie.

Baie nuwe inligting tree na vore.

Oor Eugene de Kock, Andre Stander en Barend Strydom word feitlik berig ... Eugene

de Kock se goeie dade en invloed word goed belig.

Daar is ander angswekkende sake wat vreeslik goed aangebied word. Korrupsie in

die hoogste echelons word openbaar.

Ek het altyd geweet daar is ‘twee’ polisiemagte – die ideale polisiemag wat die

parlement, minister en kommissaris dink bestaan en dan die regte polisiemag –

daardie “ou” mag waarvoor ons so lief is, met sy al menslike gebreke, onperfektheid

en foute! In Grusaam het ek ʼn derde polisiemag ontdek:

Daardie gedeelte van die mag wat korrup en bedorwe is. Nadat ek sekere boeke oor

die ou SAP gelees het, het ek agtergekom daar is werklik korrupte en misdadige

polisiemanne. Hier lig De Wet die deksel van Pandora se kis ... Polisiemanne wat

gekonfiskeerde drank en dwelms misbruik ... Onwerklike gebeure word vermeld. Dis

erger as die werklikheid.

Ek het lank gedink aan verantwoordbaarheid. Wie is verantwoordelik dat sekere

polisiemanne skreiend buite die reg opgetree het? Misdaad en ontugtigheid is

bevorder – ek praat nie van onwettige optrede ten behoewe van die staat nie. Wie is

aanspreeklik en waar lê die aanspreeklikheid? Al is hierdie misdade en handeling is

in stryd met die reg, die polisiewet en regulasies en is deur lede gepleeg en die

plaaslike bevelvoerders is verantwoordelik! Die wandade het op hul skof

plaasgevind! Was ons leierskap, bevel en beheer ontoereikend?

Die enigste kritiek is die voorblad waar die genoemde persone hierbo, se foto’s net

bokant vermiste kinders in die Van Rooyen-saak verskyn. Dit gaan nie goed af nie.

Self geharde misdadigers, oor die algemeen, vind pedofiele verfoeilik.

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Oor Nongqai se drumpel

Vick McPhearson en Karl Gerber het by Nongqai kom besoek aflê. Ons het lekker

gesels oor Vick se boek wat in die pyplyn is. Hier kom ‘n interessante boek!

Agent 407: De Wet Potgieter

Olivia- the sad little drummer girl

In the eyes of the general public Olivia Forsyth has always been regarded as the

second most famous spy. Second best to the top dog,

the man dubbed the superspy, Craig Williamson.

That was the public perception, but in the grey world of

spies, where a life of mirrors within mirrors prevails, a

different scenario, a proverbial Greek tragedy, had

played itself off. Unwittingly on a path of self destruction

Olivia Forsyth had been the pawn created by the old

nationalist government’s propaganda machinery. DE

WET POTGIETER pondered into the shady world of

espionage and came across a different world where

Forsyth never knew she was playing on centre stage.

Agent 407

While Olivia thought her book of “revelations” would be the scene setter for her final

act, the sad life of this “Little Drummer Girl” has in fact opened up another tragic

play.

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Her recently published book, Olivia Forsyth- Agent 407, created a new turf war in the

ongoing and relentless tug-of-war between the “old guard” (the security branch) and

the ANC’s department of intelligence and security (DIS).

This reminds a lot about the claims by both opposing sides at the Battle of Cuito

Quinavale in Angola claiming victory. In Forsyth’s case Ronnie Kasrils sides with her

claiming she returned to South Africa as an ANC spy- a double agent- successfully

convincing her spy masters in the security branch she had escaped from the

clutches of her captives in Luanda.

What she didn’t know is that she in fact was a triple agent and never knew it.

An in-depth interview with her handler at the former Counter Espionage section- D

Section- of the security branch, paints a different picture.

Like the old saying: ‘The first casualty of war is the truth”, Forsyth played her part in

that war and at the same time also fell prey to the propaganda machines on both

sides that she worked for.

The homecoming

In fact, the day she set foot back in South Africa she became the object of a massive

top secret Stratcom-operation (strategic communication) embarked on by the old

South African government using the local media in its propaganda war against the

ANC.

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Back in the early days when the young Olivia Forsyth started working at the

department of foreign affairs she rubbed shoulders with very influential people like

foreign diplomats and South African politicians. It was at the time when Craig

Williamson’s cover was blown overseas and he was brought back to South Africa.

She worshipped him and always dreamt of becoming a “super spy” like him.

It was during 1979 or 1980 that she made contact with Williamson and indicated that

she wants to become a spy. It was at a time when the South African intelligence

agencies utilised every available resources to infiltrate organisations like NUSAS,

(National Union of South African Students), UCM (University Christian Movement),

BPC (Black Peoples’ Convention), and SASO (South African Students Organisation).

The main was to place spies in every Christian and student organisation.

“At security branch headquarters in Pretoria everybody referred to Olivia as ‘Mata

Hari,” said her handler this week. He was at the time attached to D-section.

He described her as a person with an amazing memory and perceptual skills, but

she had two draw backs in life in her role as a spy.

● her social life

● the fact that she got bored easily

Forsyth was brought back to Johannesburg once she had finished her studies at

Rhodes University in Grahams Town, but headquarters had no real mission for her

where she was based in Johannesburg.

Her bosses at Wachthuis in Polleys Arcade, Pretoria was reluctant to consider her

request to infiltrate the ANC structures at its headquarters in Lusaka. To date the spy

masters had little successes in getting white spies into the banned organisation. It

was also not policy to use female spies in such dangerous circumstances.

She was finally briefed and trained for two months for this new mission and the plans

were for her to go via London to the Zambian capital for a reconnoitre.

The defection

Eight days after her arrival she walked over and told Philiso Mazwai, head of DIS,

that she was totally disillusioned with the PW Botha regime and wanted to join the

struggle.

“It was a matter of a few hours after this, that a good contact of mine in another

African country’s intelligence agency phoned me and told me: ‘You guys are in shit.

Your spy had turned sides,” Forsyth’s handler told Nuuskantoor.

Nine weeks after Forsyth had written an elaborate statement, security branch

received a copy from an informant working for DIS in Lusaka.

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After three weeks she returned to South Africa.

“We then knew she was a double agent and we cannot trust her in any way,” the

handler described the strange situation.

What to do with her?

“We had two choices. Either charges her for treason, but then we had to produce

witnesses in court and we didn’t want to expose any of our informants.

“The other option was to send her back to the ANC with selective information at her

disposal and wait and see what happens.”

He added that they wanted to give her the opportunity to come clean. She never told

her handler or any of her other colleagues in the security branch that she turned

sides and made a statement to the ANC.

She was sent back by her South African spy masters, but this time Mazwai did not

believe her and thought she was still spying for Pretoria.

While she was languishing in the hell hole of the notorious Quattro detention camp in

Angola, Ronnie Kasrils entered the fray and started writing letters to Chris Hani to

get her out of there.

According to Forsyth’s handler, this was part of the turf war between Umkhonto we

Sizwe (Kasrils) and DIS (Mazwai).

Red Ronnie to the rescue

In the end Kasrils managed to secure her release and set her up in safe house in

Luanda where she worked as an analyst for MK.

“Olivia absolutely idolised Kasrils and Hani and would

have done anything they wanted her to do,” said the

handler

Then the next grand plan came into play when Forsyth

wrote a letter from “captivity” to her mother and her

sister to put pressure on the South African government

to negotiate for her release.

The letter landed on the desk of minister of police,

Adriaan Vlok, but the head of the security branch’

intelligence unit, Gen. Piet Viljoen got hold of a copy.

“We had our strategy in place and while the official Ronnie Kasrils at the Russell Tribunal reaction was that government would do everything in its power to bring her back, we sat back and waited.”

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Eight months later it was all over the news that Olivia Forsyth had managed to

escape from the clutches of her ANC captors and was hiding in the British embassy

in Luanda.

“We immediately knew this was part of Kasrils’ strategy to let her re-infiltrate back

into South Africa. She never had any reason to seek refuge in an embassy because

she dad enjoyed free movement all along while staying in that safe house.

“We knew that because we had informants keeping us abreast of it all,” explained

her handler.

She received a hero’s welcome when she returned with all the bells and whistles, but

behind the scenes the spy masters were planning strategy.

“From a humanitarian way we wanted to give her a fair chance to come clean. The

ball was in her court, but in the meantime we were ready with a Stratcom project to

handle the situation.

“She was collateral damage.”

For a week Forsyth was debriefed for 18 hours per day.

According to her handler one aspect was very obvious from these debriefing

sessions. She tried not to implicate Kasrils and Hani in any wrongdoings.

At the end of all of this the security branch was stuck with a person they knew was

working for the opposition.

She was fully employed by the police and the question remained how to deploy her

in a position where she cannot get hold of sensitive information.

Then a strategy was put in place to se3nd a message to the ANC that the double

agent has turned again, becoming a triple agent.

“We wanted the enemy to realise that their efforts to recruit our spy was futile. Ons

wou vir Kasrils-hulle laat weet dat hulle operasie in sy moer is,” the handler

described the counter espionage strategy.

“This was part of a grandiose psychological warfare strategy where Olivia was

unwittingly used as the pawn in the game.”

The Yurchenko Strategy

As part of this plan the Olivia Forsyth story was published as exclusive articles in

major newspapers. She was highlighted as far and wide as possible.

For six months she toured the country on a road show to tell all and sundry her sad

story.

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When this was done she fell in love with a law officer in the police and three months

later she got married.

“With that our problem was solved. Her husband did not like the limelight and

insisted on privacy for the newlywed love birds.

At that stage Olivia’s handlers from both sides of the fence were guessing who had

won the spy war with the poor little drummer girl.

Kasrils never really knew whether Forsyth defected back to the old guard or not. The

Yurchenko ploy kept them guessing all these years

“Sadly, Olivia was the biggest loser in this game.

According to Olivia’s handler Kasrils wanted to know on several occasions on whose

side she had ended at the very end.

“I never reply and just smile at him when he asks me,” said the handler.

“For 28 years… until now… this had remained a mystery.

Unfortunately her book had brought her more sadness and despair.

The Yurchenko incident

Vitaly Yurchenko was a high ranking spy in the Soviet Union who defected in the

1980’S to the USA after 25 years of service in the KGB while on a mission in Rome.

During his interrogation by US agents he named two of their colleagues who were in

fact KGB agents.

In November 1985 he was having lunch at a French restaurant in Georgetown when

he told his CIA body guard that he was “going for a walk” and did not return. A few

days alter the Soviet embassy claimed at a press conference that Yurchenko was

kidnapped and drugged by the CIA. In order to make sure that he was not a CIA

double agent, the Soviets interrogated him while under a truth drug.

As he flew home to Moscow not even President Ronald Reagan or his security

advisors was sure if he was a bona fide defector or planted by the KGB.

Photographs provided by De Wet Potgieter

Mr Kassrils was asked for comment

Comments: Col (Ret) Craig Williamson

In order to more fully understand the "Lara" spy saga some background is necessary.

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Great theorists like Clausewitz teach us that in any conflict or war, physical combat is merely a continuation of the political struggle by other means. Many theorists have said that any struggle is at least 80% political as opposed to the 20% physical. In the 80% political area, each side seeks to reinforce the support of its own supporters and followers while simultaneously disillusioning and undermining the opposition’s credibility and support. Spy's and human intelligence usually play a more critical role in the 80% arena than in the 20% because in the 80% their role is long term and strategic while in the 20% it is usually short term and tactical. So Olivia was sent to "join" the opposition via Rhodes and like other agents was tasked to become embedded in the opposition political structures. This she did very well. She was a particularly talented spy and perhaps that was her downfall. She fell in love with the game. Which side she was on was secondary to the thrill of her secret power. She was good at duplicity and moral ambiguity both in her political and personal life. Her big mistake was being so convinced of her own prowess that she totally underestimated both the ANC and the SA security apparatus. The biggest surprise is that she wasn't killed by one side or the other. Counter espionage units are famously professional paranoids and will never trust a defector. That is why she landed up in Quatro. On the other hand, once her security branch handlers knew that she had offered to "turn", they too could never trust her. It appears that what saved her was that both sides still thought that they could use her. Kasrils saved her from Quatro and once she was back in SA she herself says in her book that it was made very clear to her that she was to play her part in the Stratcom or else. So she did and that saved her once more. The foot soldiers in any war are cannon fodder. "Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do or die". 1 A spy is no different and is perhaps even more at risk, alone and behind enemy lines. Politicians direct the generals who dispatch the troops. "Lara" was dispatched but chose to direct her own game and ended up as a pawn and not as the queen. I, like many of her erstwhile left comrades, see her book as her attempt to put herself on the politically correct side of history. It isn't honest and it raises more questions than it answers.

1 See Tennyson’s: The Charge of the Light Brigade - HBH

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The Charge Of The Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Memorializing Events in the Battle of Balaclava, October 25, 1854 Written 1854

Half a league half a league,

Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred:

'Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns' he said:

Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!' Was there a man dismay’d?

Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do & die, Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them

Volley'd & thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare, Flash'd as they turn'd in air Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army while All the world wonder'd:

Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke;

Cossack & Russian Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,

Shatter'd & sunder'd. Then they rode back, but not

Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them

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Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell,

While horse & hero fell, They that had fought so well

Came thro' the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of Hell,

All that was left of them, Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?

O the wild charge they made! All the world wonder'd.

Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade,

Noble six hundred!

Note: This poem, including punctuation, is reproduced from a scan of the poem written out by Tennyson in his own hand later, in 1864. The scan was made

available online by the University of Virginia.

- See more at:

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ChargeoftheLightBrigade.html#sthash.EMYm18Iz.dpuf

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Polmed: Kol Gideon Serfontein

Boodskap van kol Serfontein: “Moet u nie aan lospraatjies of gerugte steur nie!”

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Army Signals in South Africa: Walter Volker

Hennie Hier is ‘n paar “Seiner Stories” uit die gebindae by Katima Mulilo – soos vertel deur AO1 Deon van Zyl, wat deesdae in die Kaap bly. Hulle kom almal uit my boek “Army Signals in South Africa”. Hoop jy kan hulle gebruik…

Grensdiens in 1968

My eerste grensdiens het Maart 1968 begin. Dit was te Katima Mulilo en ons het as SAUK lede in siviele klere met siviele voertuie diens gedoen. Dit was vir my maar moeilik want ek moes 'n senior Ssers, Sinclair Harvey, gaan aflos en ek was 'n baie jong Ssers wat oor gelyke range/vriende bevel moes voer. Harde bene gekou maar ook baie geleer. Majore Witkop Badenhorst en Wessel Kritzinger (SAIK) was ons bevelvoerders. Voordat ons die flossie na Katima gehaal het moes ons by DMI aanmeld; hier het ons by Mnr (Lt) GHP (Gerrit) Murphy aangemeld vir "briefing". Ons moes ook vir ons 'n woonadres uit die Johannesburgse telefoonboek uitsoek. Ek het 'n adres Julestr Malvern gekies (die no kan ek nie meer onthou nie). In Katima het ons vriende gemaak met SAP lede en so het ons baie gesels en uitgevra na mekaar se werk en adres van afkoms. Sers "Pan" van Eeden wou toe weet waarvandaan ek kom, ens en toe ek vir hom die adres gee blyk dit dat hy die plek goed ken. Ek moes later vir Maj Olckers gaan roep om vir Pan te debrief.

Eerste Rugbywedstryd op die Grens

Geskiedenis was ook gemaak en ek was deel daarvan ; "Katima vs Mulilo" 'n rugby wedstryd waar die eenkant van die pad teen die anderkant speel op 'n geploegde land. Ek was hakker van die een span, Leon van Wyk (vleuel), Niek Louw, Charlie van Antwerpen, Pissie Pretorius was ook deel van die span. Ek weet Pan van Eeden was losskakel maar ek kan nie onthou van watter span nie. Dan was Ds vd Westhuizen (die dorp se NG predikant) die heelagter. Piet Felsteadt, 'n oud Westransvaalse rugbyspeler, het ook gespeel. Dan was daar 'n jong Dr en sy jongvrou, pasgetroud, en sy (met daai tyd se kort minis) was 'n toeskouer. Elkeen van hierdie rugbyspelers se hoofdoel was om 'n losskrum af te dwing so naby as moontlik aan waar hierdie dame op 'n boomstam gesit het. Ons het almal kaalvoet gespeel en moenie praat van al die waterblase onder die voete nie ! Die telling kan ek ook nie onthou nie maar ek glo nie dit was ter sake nie.

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Formele Ete met die “Bosgod”

Maj Dirk Verbeek (Generaal) was later ons bevelvoerder en hy besluit toe dat ons 'n formele ete moes hou en die "bosgod" (ene Mnr Kleynhans) uitnooi. Ons sjef was oom (A01) Ginger Williams. Alles het goed afgeloop maar hier teen die nageregtyd (jellie met vla) was ons al 'n bietjie ongeduldig en ek neem toe 'n lepel jellie en mik vir Leon van Wyk se kop maar mis en die jellie beland op die hooftafel waar Maj Dirk en die "bosgod" sit. Die volgende dag was almal van ons vir twee weke belet om na die kroeg (veiligheidspolisie sn) te gaan. (Ons was in 'n gewoonte om elke middag teen so vyf voor vyf met die pad aan te stap na die kroeg met ons hond "Ballas" heelvoor. Hy het dan 'n biltongkie of iets by die kroeg gekry. Die kroegman was Konst "Generaal" Cilliers). Die eerste dag het ons maar stoele nader getrek en daar tussen ons tente met dikmonde gesit. Die tweede dag dieselfde ding maar na so 'n uur se Maj Dirk: "laat julle gaan" en daar trek ons met Ballas weer los voor.

Vrye Tyd en Sports

Om besig te bly op die grens was 'n absolute prioriteit en bevelvoerders/seksiehoofde het alles gedoen om die lede wie nie op skof was, of moes rus nie, besig te hou. "Volley ball" was aan die orde van die dag en sekere aande was ons "seiners" verantwoordelik om fliek, vir almal wat wou kyk, te wys. Sondae was egter 'n "ander" dag en dan het jy mense verlang wat jy nie eens geken het nie. Ons gewoonlik met 'n Landy en 'n sleepkarretjie na Statte gery waar ons houtsnee-werk wat die plaaslike bevolking te koop aan gebied het, gekoop het Een van ons Sondae sports was om te gaan ski op die Zambezi. Planke was aan mekaar geslaan, 'n tou om aan vas te hou en 'n langtou aan die planke vasgemaak met die ander punt aan 'n Landrover. Die skieer het dan ingeswem met die planke (ski) hom mooi geposisioneer, dan 'n teken gegee vir die drywer van die Landy wat dan wegvlieg in die pad af en siedaar 'n nuwe manier van ski. Preston Steyn was die skier in hierdie geval met my agter die wiel. Ek het lekker weggetrek, voet in die hoek, met Preston op die skis. Pleks dat hy die tou los toe hy die wal sien nader kom klou hy vir al wat werd is. Preston teen die wal uit, ek val uit die Landy soos ek lag en die ander ouens gil van plesier. Wat Preston my toegevoeg het sal ek liewer nie rapporteer nie.

Inwyding van die Hospitaal by Katima Mulilo

'n Ander insident wat my ook altyd sal by bly was toe die nuwe hospitaal op Katima ingewy was. Die minister van gesondheid met sy ampsdraers was daar vir die geleentheid. 'n Dag na of voor die inwyding raak 'n groot deel van stellings wat om die dorp opgestel is aan die brand. Dit was afgekapte bome wat soos 'n muur tussen

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uitkykpunte en toegangshekke om die dorp gepak was. Die Infanterie het die gaste met 'n vertoning vergas en "tracer" het blykbaar die ding begin. Ons manne sit in die kroeg en sien hierdie hogere vuur wat brand maar iemand kom in en se dat alles onder beheer is. Wie die slimjan was weet ek nie maar iemand stel voor dat:" soveel kole nie gemors kan word nie." Lang storie kort; die Sjefs word betrek en kort voor lank het ons vleis/wors en slaaie. Die gaste (vir die hospitaalinwyding) wat toe alreeds na hulle gastehuise/slaapplekke vertrek het word uitgenooi en baie laat daardie aand het ons 'n gesellige braai.

Legendariese Sportman en Speurder Basie Sadie (Durban)

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Superman

Contact details / kontakbesonderhede Hennie Heymans: enongqai@gmail.com

Glenn Elsden: glenn.elsden@gmail.com

Greetings – Groete

Salute! Saluut!

Hennie Heymans No 43630 © 2015