1962: Sap College Training

1962: SAP COLLEGE TRAINING: “ITS THE TOUGHEST COURSE IN THE WORLD!”

Maj – Gen LG Snyman-Collection (via HB Heymans)

Introduction

Mr Johannes Snyman, son of the late Maj-Gen Snyman, presented me with some of his father’s photos, newspaper cuttings and periodicals. As time goes by, we will share parts of it with our readers.

Serendipity

History is full of serendipity, and I also never fail to see the irony! As a schoolchild in Std 9 I read this particular article. I knew I was going to be a police officer, but I never knew that the training described “... as the toughest course in the world” was going to confront me. I felt intimidated.

The impact of the article on my schoolboy’s mind

The fact that the course was the “toughest in the world” worried me. My Father, Sgt AF Heymans, was big and tough. I was small and skinny. So, I decided to become super fit for the training that was awaiting me at the college. At the end of the year, during the 1962-1963-school holidays I was very fit. I joined the SA Police on 13 January 1964.

My friend, Donald Campbell, and I walked from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. It was tough, but we made it. At the police college the training was very tough – but being very fit – it was a walk in the park. I have visited several police forces all over the globe, and I must say the SAP College presented us with world class training! Most police forces are civil police.

However like all elite para-military police forces the training is tough and very militaristic. We did mounted training, mounted- and dis-mounted drill, we marched endlessly, and we did exercises with a .303-rifle, we did intensive PT exercises, self-defence, first aid and law. We performed fatigue duties, cleaned stables, cleaned kit – all activities that could also be judged as very tough. There was time for books and swotting.

A word on the police promotion exams: Everything was done parrot-fashion, we had to write answers down from memory – insight was not important but how you remembered the statutes word for word, common law definitions, standing orders and hints on investigation of crime.

In later years we did intensive Counter Insurgency Courses … running and marching … carrying all our kit as we moved along.

All I can say is that our training was comparable to the best in the world – The College (formerly the Training Depot) had an ethos going back to the old SA Constabulary and Transvaal Police who used the same training depot from the days just after of the Anglo Boer War.

After our passing out parade on the 4^th of July 1964 we were welcomed into a great and illustrious organisation.

The former SA Police were presented with its own colours.

After reading all the gallant actions by Police Officers I realised why a police official must be fit, physically and mentally better trained and equipped than the public it is called to protect and serve: