1914 - 1918 WW1
Potpourie: Oktober 2026
Photo album: The history of a country and its people is closely interwoven with its uniformed services.
All Articles
9 articles match your filters
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.
Durban Borough Police * Durban Gemeentelike Politie
Water Police: Durban
Durban Borough Police - Water Police at Point + Photographs
1913 Riots Kleinfontein Mine
Nongqai Album 4/2026
The Castle Cape Town, Durban Borough Police, The Anglo Boer War, 1900’s German Camel Police, GSWA, 1913 Mine Workers strike – Kleinfontein, 1913 – The Red Flag in Revolutionary Booklet, 1930’s – SWA Police camel & SAR Bus, 1930’s Special Service Battalion UDF South Africa,
1939 - 1945: The Wartime SA Police
Nongqai Album 2/2026
A collection of historic South African military & police photos
Durban Borough Police * Durban Gemeentelike Politie
Natal Colony: Pionier African (Zulu) Policemen
This photo-article examines the pioneering role of Black policemen in the Durban Borough Police, Pietermaritzburg Borough Police, and the Natal Mounted Police. Recruited largely from strong Zulu men, these early policemen—despite limited training—proved to be disciplined, loyal, and effective guardians of civic order. They arrested drunks, thieves, and pickpockets, and their honesty and dedication set a lasting example for modern policing. Their service, often under harsh conditions with minimal equipment, illustrates both the resilience of African policemen and the colonial reliance on Zulu martial traditions. Through photographs and narrative, this article highlights their courage, loyalty, and enduring legacy.
Durban Borough Police * Durban Gemeentelike Politie
Photo-Essay: Guardians of a Growing City — The Durban Borough Police – Later Durban City Police
Photo-Essay: Guardians of a Growing City — The Durban Borough Police – Later Durban City Police
Durban Borough Police * Durban Gemeentelike Politie
Historic Photograph: 1960’s – 1980’s - Durban City Police: Motor Cycle Officer
Historic Photograph: 1960’s – 1980’s - Durban City Police: Motor Cycle Officer
SAP History / Geskiedenis
SAP King's Rest
(Geagte leser: Kan ek met u vergunning asseblief van ‘n “paai” in plaas van ‘n “pie” praat?)