In Recognition of His Contribution to Preserving Our Police Heritage During July 2020, I was working on compiling a biography of the police career of Lieutenant-Colonel S Pillai, who sadly passed away on 5 December 1982. His former personal assistant, Ms Neela Naidoo, provided me with valuable information and suggested that I contact Captain Martin Lazarus, a well-known and respected Durban Police officer. Since making contact with Captain Lazarus, he has become an invaluable source of information in my efforts to research, record and preserve the heritage and history of South African Police members of Indian descent. His knowledge, willingness to assist and dedication to this important task have made a significant contribution to my work. Captain Lazarus has an excellent memory of the past and can often recognise police members in photographs taken during their younger years. This remarkable ability, together with his knowledge of former members, has helped me identify many individuals whose contributions might otherwise have been forgotten. The majority of South African Police members of Indian descent came from Durban. However, finding information about their police careers was not always easy, and records were often difficult to obtain. Before I made contact with Captain Lazarus, very little information was readily available. His assistance opened many doors and enabled me to gather valuable details about the lives and careers of these dedicated police officers. He went even further by locating retired police members and providing me with written summaries of their police careers. This made it much easier for me to trace and contact their surviving family members, allowing me to obtain further information and preserve their personal stories for future generations. His generous support, tireless efforts and willingness to share his knowledge have played a vital role in making this project possible. His contribution goes far beyond providing information. He has helped ensure that the service, sacrifices and achievements of these police members are recognised and remembered. Without his continued assistance and commitment, it would have been extremely difficult to achieve what I have accomplished thus far.

Capt Lazarus