Nongqai — Police & Defence History Magazine

1938 - Great Trek anniversary

Afrikaanse kerke & tweede wêreldoorlog

This study examines how the Afrikaans Churches (GK, NGK, NHK) responded to the political, social, and spiritual crises surrounding South Africa’s involvement in the Second World War. Drawing on Dr Jacobus van Tonder’s research, it explores the pre war Afrikaner mindset shaped by trauma, nationalism, and cultural revival; the influence of European National Socialism on local movements; the fierce debate over neutrality; the dramatic political clash between Hertzog and Smuts; and the deep divisions created by the “Red Tabs” oath, the Ossewabrandwag, emergency regulations, and wartime censorship. The churches attempted to remain spiritually focused while congregations fractured along political lines. The war ultimately reshaped Afrikaner identity, church life, and national unity, revealing the tension between Christian conviction, nationalism, and state authority.

18338 Bloukrans

Maandbrief: Potpourri

This month’s letter weaves together South African history, policing heritage, personal memoir, and spiritual reflection. It opens with the remarkable story of Johanna van der Merwe — “a Voortrekker heroine who survived more than 20 assegai wounds during the Bloukrans massacre” — and expands into a broad historical survey of early policing bodies such as the Natal Mounted Police, Cape Police, Durban Borough Police, the Railway Police, and units active during the Anglo-Boer War. Interspersed with these historical accounts are vivid personal recollections: early police service in Wentworth, encounters with former colleagues, and meetings with figures from the South African Police, Railway Police, and National Intelligence Service. The letter also reflects deeply on Afrikaner identity, language decline, cultural shifts after 1994, and the changing landscape of schools, churches, and communities. The narrative asks the poignant question: What became of the once formidable Afrikaner? The final section offers a spiritual meditation on Simon of Cyrene — “the man who carried the cross” — and the enduring faith legacy of his family in the early Christian church. The article concludes as a rich blend of historical documentation, personal narrative, cultural commentary, and devotional insight.