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The article recalls Hendrik van den Bergh’s arrest on 20 January 1942 and describes the wider wartime context of the Ossewabrandwag, police loyalties, and internment at Koffiefontein. It also reflects on the historical significance of the event and Van den Bergh’s later career.
This article traces the layered history of Koffiefontein, a Free State town shaped by diamond discovery, military conflict, and evolving systems of law enforcement. Beginning as a vital rest stop for 19th‑century transport riders, Koffiefontein rose to prominence after a diamond was found at its fountain in 1870, sparking a local diamond rush. The narrative follows three major eras: the diamond‑mining boom, the Anglo‑Boer War—during which British forces fortified the town with blockhouses—and the Second World War, when Koffiefontein became a major internment camp holding Italian and German POWs as well as South Africans suspected of pro‑Nazi activity, including future Prime Minister B.J. Vorster. The article also explores the development of policing in the region, from early constables of the Orange Free State Republic to the establishment of the SAP in 1913 and highlights the architectural heritage of the historic Hampden Street police station. Finally, it reflects on modern community concerns and the station’s dual identity as both a heritage landmark and an active centre of law enforcement.
Captain Johannes “Jan” Taillard (1904–1987) was one of South Africa’s most effective and least known undercover policemen. Fluent in German and trusted across social divides, he played a decisive role in dismantling the Nazi Party in South West Africa in 1939, stealing the complete membership index and enabling the arrest of 2 284 members. In 1941 he infiltrated anti government networks in the Brits district, gained the confidence of Abwehr agent Robey Leibbrandt, and led him into a police ambush — an operation that prevented a planned assassination of Prime Minister Jan Smuts. Taillard’s long police career included senior command posts in Queenstown, Umtata, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, where he managed political unrest, labour strikes, and major security operations. Despite his contributions, his pension was severely affected by a break in service during undercover work, and his later life was marked by hardship. He died in 1987 without honours or police representation at his funeral. His story remains one of the most remarkable — and overlooked — chapters in South African policing history.
The life & Times of Maj-Gen LG Snyman, MBE, of the SAP Brigade & SAP College
A collection of historic South African military & police photos
ABSTRACT: This article explores the formation, function, and legacy of the South African Police CID Special Staff, a covert political policing unit established in 1939 under the command of Major Gabriel Edward Diedericks, KPM, MVO, during t
This article explores the fraught intersection of policing and politics in South African history, tracing a cycle of duty, disloyalty, and moral reckoning from World War II through the democratic transition of the 1990s. It highlights the roles of key Security Branch officers under the Smuts government, including covert operatives like Captain Jan Taillard, and reflects on the ideological tensions that shaped their careers. Through the lens of Major GE Diedericks’ internment of BJ Vorster and the later abandonment of the South African Police during CODESA negotiations, the narrative examines how political shifts repeatedly left loyal officers vulnerable. The article argues for a retrospective moral accounting of the policeman’s role, invoking the Nuremberg Principles and emphasizing the need to honour integrity amid political storms. It concludes with reflections on South Africa’s intelligence community and the enduring lessons of service, sacrifice, and historical memory.
SA Polisie - Plig, Politiek en Nabetragting: ’n Oordenking oor Veiligheid en Verantwoordbaarheid
