GENERAL SMUTS AND THE NONGQAI

A PICTORIAL ESSAY OF SOME PHOTOGRAPHS THAT APPEARED IN THE NONGQAI OF GENERAL JC SMUTS

Brig HB Heymans (SAP – Ret)

In 2007 I had the opportunity to go through some very old Nongqai’s dated from 1907 which were stored in the police archive. I have always been interested in the Anglo Boer War, the First World War, the 1914 Rebellion, the 1922 “Red Revolt on the Rand”, the Second World War, South African history and our in statesmen, amongst other subjects. I scanned quite a few historic photographs – here I share some photographs of Gen Smuts that appeared in the Nongqai and a few other to complete the pictorial essay.

I have read a couple of books on Genl Smuts (to the Afrikaners and himself he will always be “General” and not Field Marshall.) He is one of the great sons of Africa. (It is such a pity that Jan Smuts International Airport is no longer named after him.) He was a real officer, gentleman, philosopher and scholar. He, Darwin and Milton were regarded as the most brilliant students at Cambridge.

He was the “staatsprokureur” (state attorney) of the old ZA Republic and as such head of the Zarp’s, the Detective Service and the Secret Service.

As a scholar he was the first person in Southern Africa to draw up a national strategy. He drew up the strategic plans for the Boer Forces just before the outbreak of the Second Anglo Boer War. His plans (to inter alia occupy the ports in the Cape Colony and Natal) were approved by the Command Council however they were not implemented.

He excelled as a guerrilla leader and was a good conventional general. He was a man of great strategic vision. He was a tough negotiator. He attended the Treaty of Versailles (and predicted the second world war). He is seen as the father of both the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force. He was involved in both the League of Nations and the United Nations.

He is former Minister of Justice, Minister of Defence and Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

The First World War

1915

Circa 1915

1917

1937

1938

1938: SA Police Silver Jubilee

The Commissioner was a Colonel.

1941

1941

1946

1947

1950: Funeral Service (Not in Nongqai)

1950: Police Charger: Mounted Division of the SA Police

(I have photo’s of Gen Smuts on horses of the Mounted Division of the SA Police. Here are some photos of the Police Charger that took part in the General’s funeral procession – not all photos appeared in the Nongqai.)

We salute one of South Africa’s great sons!