Lt-Col Ray Munilall Mathura
Lieutenant-Colonel Ray Munilall Mathura (1937-1993) was a groundbreaking Indian South African police officer. He served with great dedication during the apartheid era, a time when strict racial rules limited opportunities for non-white members. Born in 1937, he joined the South African Police on 19th April 1960 and served for more than 30 years. Despite strong racial discrimination, he rose through the ranks. During 1975, he was commissioned. Mathura’s career showed determination and courage in the face of hardship. He inspired others to serve their communities with pride, discipline, and integrity. Although he passed on 25th April 1993, his achievements are still honoured today. Police history records, including the Nongqai archives and he is also featured in the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre’s website gallery entitled, South African Police Indian Veteran. The centre serves as both a living archive and a tribute to the Indian community’s legacy in South Africa and recognise him as one of the great legends of the South African Police.