SAP Koevoet by therese5600

THE MEN SPEAK

SAP KOEVOET Jonathan Pittaway

THE INTRODUCTION MEN SPEAK Compiler Jonathan Pittaway E: pittaway@iafrica.com T: (0)31 312 0674 F: (0)31 303 7614 M: (0)83 660 0000 Publisher Dandy Agencies W: www.dandy.co.za E: agencies@iafrica.com Changes Comments/criticisms welcomed Captions/improvements welcomed Print Production Les Martens, SA Media Services E: les@samedia-services.co.za M: (0)82 556 8780 Printing and Binding WKT Co. Ltd, Hong Kong, China W: www.wkt.cc Design Sean Crozier E: sean@seancrozier.com M: (0)84 451 4683 Tiphanie Gorrie E: tiphaniegorrie@gmail.com T: (0)31 312 8719 M: (0)83 332 5053 Editing Allison Broster E: allison@minervasa.com T: (0)82 573 9705 Historical Consultants Jac Büchner Craig Fourie Francois Gunter Hennie Heymans Terence King James Mackenzie Mark Newham Dudley Wall Marius Whittle SAP Veterans’ Institutions Hennie Heymans W: www.nongqai.com E: heymanshb@gmail.com T: (0)12 329 4229 Associated Websites W: www.therhodesiansas.com W: www.theselousscouts.com Militaria Dealers Michael Kaplan E: medals@wireless.co.za T: (0)11 485 2195 M: (0)83 555 5101 James MacKenzie W: www.samilitaria.com T: (0)21 949 9602 M: (0)83 683 2694

Compiler’s Notes This book is published privately on a non-profit basis on behalf of the Koevoet Bond (League), for the benefit and use of its members. It is intended as a hobbyist publication and is distributed on a private basis. The contributors to this book have been too numerous to acknowledge by name. However special assistance, contributions and guidance were received from Stephan Botha, Jac Büchner, Dennis Croukamp, Dave Baker, Hennie Heymans, Gerald Prinsloo, Don Scowen, Andy Shoredits, Johan van der Merwe, Johan ‘Sakkie’ van Zyl, Ben Vermaak and Eric Winter, with most of the photographs coming from the Police Museum, Attie Hattingh and Dave Murray. On the collecting side much help was received from Craig Fourie, Marco Gollino, Francois Gunter, Hennie Heymans, James MacKenzie, David Strauss and Pine Pienaar. Contemporary terminology has been used throughout the book and in no way reflects the view of the compiler. It is now over twenty-five years since the end of the Border War and former members are spread far and wide around the world. It has therefore been impossible to locate and communicate with them all. Any new photographs/scans relating to the content of this book will be welcomed. Photographs will be returned within a week of receipt by registered post or courier. The World War II, Sixties and Seventies chapters of the book have been included because they give the reader an overview of the political situation in Southern Africa at the time. These are fascinating periods, especially regarding the use of the unique, extremely dangerous and deadly effective COIN techniques. Additional Copies Additional copies of this book can be obtained from the publisher. www.dandy.co.za or agencies@iafrica.com Nominal Roll No nominal roll has been included because the names of the buddies who served in Koevoet are not available. Contemporary Terminology No offence is intended by the use of the 1980s term ‘terrorist’. The abbreviation SAP COIN has been used to refer to the counter-insurgency unit, which was also known at the time as SAP COIN-TIN. The enemy is referred to as SWAPO, although at the time its fighting forces were also known as PLAN (People’s Liberation Army of Namibia). Historical Accuracy Special thanks to the late Johan ‘Sakkie’ van Zyl, without whom this production wouldn’t have been possible. He consistently provided the encouragement and contact to continue with the task, and along with Hennie Heymans provided the intial enthusiasm to get it started. Special Thanks Jac Büchner for proofreading Francois Gunter for badges Hennie Heymans for queries Ian Uys CA, for medal citations Koevoet Bond Facebook: Koevoet M: 082 337 8624 E: koevoetvetbond@gmail.com W: www.koevoet.webs.com First Edition 2016

CONTENTS

5 INTRODUCTION - CHAPTER ONE 7 OP KOEVOET, Hans Dreyer 9 THE DEBT OWED TO KOEVOET, Johan van der Merwe 13 FIGHTING POLICE, Hennie Heymans 17 THE SAP’S ELITE FIGHTING UNIT, Johan Burger 21 WORLD WAR II - CHAPTER TWO 23 THE PUTSCH THAT NEVER HAPPENED, Vic Verster 33 THE WESTERN DESERT CAMPAIGN, Fred Geldenhuis 71 THE FIFTIES - CHAPTER THREE 73 THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING, Hennie Heymans 77 THE SIXTIES - CHAPTER FOUR 79 CATO MANOR 23 JANUARY 1960, Daan Wessels 83 PONDOLAND MARCH 1960, Abie Heymans 87 SHARPEVILLE 21 MARCH 1960, Theuns du Plessis 93 A TURNING POINT, Kosie Coetzee 95 RIVONIA 1963-1964, Herman Stadler 99 ONGULUMBASHE 26 AUGUST 1966, Johan Viktor 103 RHODESIA 1967-1975, Jac Büchner 113 THE ROAD TO NAMIBIA, Gawie Richter 117 THE SEVENTIES - CHAPTER FIVE 119 COIN AND THE SAP SPECIAL TASK FORCE, Du Plooy 123 THE MURDER AT KANDAHAR ISLAND, Jac Büchner 131 SELOUS SCOUTS AND VLAKPLAAS, Johan Viktor 135 EARLY ENCOUNTERS WITH FRELIMO, Johan van Zyl 141 FOX STREET SIEGE 28 APRIL 1975, Mike Geldenhuys 145 SOWETO UPRISING 16 JUNE 1976, Peet Vister 155 SARP SPECIAL TASK FORCE, Ronnie Beyl 167 SILVERTON BANK SIEGE, Blacky de Swardt 173 ECHO WHISKEY 1974-1979, Eric Winter 191 THE ONAMAHOKA SKIRMISH 1978, Eugene de Kock 197 BEGINNINGS: OPS K, Larry Hanton 201 THE EIGHTIES - CHAPTER SIX 203 ECHO WHISKEY 1979-1985, Eric Winter 239 OPERATION KOEVOET, Hans Dreyer 249 BIRTH IN ZULULAND, André Erwee 259 THE ROLE OF KOEVOET DURING COIN OPS, Bornman 267 THE THREE GENERATIONS OF KOEVOET, Marius Brand 273 THE KOEVOET PHASES, Frank McCarter 277 OSHAKATI ‘THE WILD WEST’, John Adam 281 OPERATION VANGUARD, Eugene de Kock 285 OPS KOEVOET, Frank McCarter 299 BLACK SUNDAY 8 MAY 1983, Leon Lotz 303 JOINING THE UNIT, John Adam 311 TACTICS, John Adam 315 FIRST OUTING WITH ZULU FOXTROT, Johan van Zyl 323 OUR MEN ARE BLEEDING, Pieter Kruger 329 OPS K, ZULU OSCAR 1981-1983, Dave Baker 337 KOEVOET TEAMS’ CALL SIGNS

339 EARLY DAYS, Dicks Dietrichsen 357 DIVE-BOMBING SWAPO, Gerhard Lotz 363 HOW TO BE ACCEPTED AS A TEAM MEMBER, Pienaar 369 OUR FATHER’S CATTLE, Simon Ngenokesho 373 FIRST MEDIC, Peter Morland 379 BLUE BELLS, SAP MECHANICS, Patric Lee 385 MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, Ferdinand Veer 395 CLOSE DOWN KOEVOET, Leon Mellet 399 POPJA OSHIDI SHIDI (ZULU PAPPA) Deon Crouse 413 THE SCOREBOARD SPOKES, Mike Geldenhuys 419 DIARY EXTRACTS, Mark Uren 429 NIGHT AMBUSHES, Dave Murray 437 BIGGEST WEAPONS CACHE EVER, Herman Potgieter 441 OPERATION CROWBAR, Dewald Pretorius 445 ROMEO MIKES, Stephan Bothma 449 THE THIRTY-FIVE, Willem Pretorius 453 CLOSE, DEATHLY CLOSE, Francois du Toit 457 FROM DOG SQUAD TO LION COUNTRY, Andy Holgate 463 KAVANGO (ZULU 4), Julian Ferreira 473 ZULU UNIFORM 1985-1987, Frederik Steynberg 485 TACKLING THE PROBLEM HEAD ON, Phil Young 497 DRESSED TO KILL, Sakkie van Zyl 501 CONTACT WITH SWAPO ENGINEERS, Sakkie van Zyl 505 WAS IT A SET-UP?, Willem Pretorius 509 UNDERSTANDING YOUR ENEMY, Dennis Earp 517 ZULU 5 SIERRA, KAOKOLAND 1983-1987, Henk Botha 527 THE LAST PHASE, Chris Ronne 535 FINAL DAYS IN SWA, Anton van der Merwe 543 THE WAR I NEARLY MISSED, Michael Kennard 549 THE DEMISE OF KOEVOET, Willem Fouché 557 ON THE SIXTH DAY ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE, Cronje 561 APRIL FOOLS’ DAY, 1 APRIL 1989, Theo Fredriksen 571 NINE DAYS OF WAR, Herman Claassen 575 NOT THE WEAKER TOMCAT, Dewald Pretorius 581 REFLECTIONS ON TACTICS, Johan van Zyl 595 THE CRISIS OF 1 APRIL 1989, Pik Botha 599 THE NINE DAY WAR, Adamus Stemmet 601 603 607 609 611 618

THE NINETIES - CHAPTER SEVEN AFTER KOEVOET, Willem Fouché ENDGAME, Piet Cronje OPS K: SO EFFECTIVE, Helmoed-Römer Heitman CITATIONS, Terence King HONOURS AND AWARDS, Terence King

619 ASSOCIATION - CHAPTER EIGHT 621 KOEVOET BOND (VETERANS’ LEAGUE), Pine Pienaar 626 ROLL OF HONOUR, Terence King 627 629 633 637

EPILOGUE - CHAPTER NINE BREAK-UP AND EXECUTIVE OUTCOMES, Werner Scholtz FREELANCING IN IRAQ 2005-2007, Ferdinand Veer THE REALITY OF AFGHANISTAN 2011, Phil Young 3

INTRODUCTION WORLD EVENTS 1902 May Second Boer War ends between the Afrikaner republics and the British Empire. 1918 November World War I, the first global war, ends with over sixteen million people dying. 1945 September World War II, the second global war, ends after the second atomic bomb is dropped. 1945 October United Nations (UN), an intergovernmental organisation, established to promote global peace. 1949 October People’s Republic of China proclaimed by Chairman Mao, ending the Chinese Civil War. 1953 July Korean War, the beginning of the Cold War, ends with a stalemate between the North and the South. 1975 April Vietnam War ends with a Communist victory after withdrawal of American-led forces. 1989 March Fall of Communism in the Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe. 1991 February End of Gulf War, which had been provoked by Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. 2001 September Islamic terrorist attacks on the US kill 2 977 people and cause billions of dollars in damage. LOCAL EVENTS 1910 May The Union of SA comes into being with the unification of four previously separate British colonies. 1923 October Rhodesia becomes a self-governing British colony under the leadership of premier Charles Coghlan. 1948 May Apartheid begins in SA with the election of the Nationalist government of Malan. 1960 February Wind of change speech by Macmillan in Cape Town, relating to growth of national consciousness. 1963 December Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland terminated by Sir Humphrey Gibbs. 1965 November Rhodesia Unilateral Declaration of Independence not recognised by world community. 1974 April Carnation Revolution in Portugal changes the politics of Angola and Mozambique. 1980 April Independence comes to Zimbabwe (previously Zimbabwe-Rhodesia) following elections won by the PF. 1990 March Independence comes to Namibia (previously SWA) following elections won by SWAPO. 1994 April Nelson Mandela and the ANC come to power in SA’s first free and fair election. SECURITY FORCES EVENTS 1953 December SAAF 2 Squadron leaves Korea after participating successfully in the UN war effort. 1964 July Rhodesian Bush War begins with the Oberholzer ambush and murder by ZANU terrorists. 1966 August South African Border War begins with the attack on a SWAPO base at Ongulumbashe, SWA. 1975 October SADF initiates Op Savannah with the first columns crossing over from SWA into Angola. 1976 July Hostage-rescue mission carried out by Israeli commandos at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. 1977 November Operation Dingo, large Rhodesian COMOPS attack on terrorist camp in Mozambique. 1978 May SADF airborne attack on SWAPO base at Cassinga, Angola. 1979 December Rhodesian Bush War ends with the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement. 1988 March Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, the biggest battle on African soil since WW II, ends. 1989 April South African Border War ends with the implementation of UN Resolution 435. UNIT EVENTS 1913 April South African Police Force established following the Union of the colonies in 1910. 1967 September Police begin deployments into Rhodesia to assist the Rhodesian security forces. 1975 August The SAP is withdrawn from Rhodesia for political reasons. 1978 April First of the SAP COIN (Counter-Insurgency) units deployed to counter terrorism on the borders. 1979 January Ops K (Koevoet) begins as first arrivals get to work on starting up the unit, jointly with 5 Recce. 1981 April South-West African Police (SWAPOL) re-established although Koevoet not affected and carries on. 1985 July Secondment of all members of Koevoet to SWAPOL and the unit renamed SWAPOL COIN. 1989 April Nine Days of War after SWAPO terrorists enter Ovamboland in violation of SWA independence process. 1989 October By month end 1 600 Koevoet members are demobilised and the unit marches into history. 1994 April SAP Force is renamed SAP Service (SAPS) and new ranks and badges are introduced.

CHAPTER ONE Background to the Fighting Police 5

INTRODUCTION

OP KOEVOET Lieutenant General Hans Dreyer SSAS, SOE, SAP Koevoet In South-West Africa in the period preceding independence we operated a most effective counter-insurgency unit in tracking and eliminating SWAPO terrorists. The name, Operation Koevoet, was coined by the SADF. We were officers from the Security Branch of the SAP detached to work with 5 Recce in Ovamboland. In 1986 Koevoet was seconded to the SWA Police where we operated as part of the territory’s counter-insurgency forces.

‘I was asked to start this unit because of my experience in Rhodesia and Natal.’

I was one of the first officers of the Security Branch (SAP Special Branch) to serve in Rhodesia, in 1973 at Centenary with the BSAP Special Branch. Again in 1978, I visited Rhodesia with police counter-terrorism expert Colonel Johan Viktor to acquaint ourselves with the local conditions. We visited all the hot spots and had discussions with Lieutenant Colonel Reid-Daly. At this time Selous Scouts operations were in full swing. We based our modus operandi on certain principles also used by the Selous Scouts and Flechas. Our main objective was to provide the SADF with intelligence in their fight against SWAPO terrorists in SWA. We were to liaise with 5 Recce at Oshakati. I was asked to start this unit because of my experience in Rhodesia and Natal. Koevoet was to be involved in covert warfare as SWA was unsafe. On tar roads you could expect an ambush and on dirt roads you could expect a landmine. Ordinary police functions were difficult to perform as SWAPO had freedom of movement. Initially, four seasoned African members of the Security Branch were seconded to us and I spent time talking to them, trying to build up a broad picture of the local situation facing us. I was trying to form an exclusive clandestine Security Branch on the Rhodesian model, adapted to local conditions as the topography was different from Rhodesia; in Ovamboland the countryside was flat. Various methods were used to assemble a picture of what was happening, from setting up Cuca shops to providing bakkies, which became taxis. This was all to get reliable information. Eventually, after a few months we decided to try the Selous Scouts way through captured terrorists. Soon thereafter two young ones were arrested in the Kaokoveld and brought to us. It was not long before we knew everything about SWAPO in central Ovambo. We started arresting more terrorists and solving cases of murder and sabotage. All the SWAPO structures were dissected. In no time, from very humble beginnings, we were up and running, asking for more vehicles and specially trained constables. Food and tents were scrounged from the army and training was instituted. After training, recruits were deployed in fighting teams. Koevoet went from strength to strength and at its peak we had 3 000 policemen, all of whom had mastered the art of bush fighting. Being an intelligence-driven reaction unit we concentrated our training on tracking. In our first year of operating out of our base at Oshakati we neutralised 511 terrorists. Our systems developed rapidly, as did our vehicles, tactics, and equipment. When deployed in the field our tactics, including tracking at speed, supported by the fire power of Casspir armoured personnel carriers, led to the apprehension and killing of thousands of terrorists. So effective were our teams that before the UN-supervised elections in 1989 we had to be disbanded so we could not later be accused of interfering

Book header: • Kasigo township Chapter header: • SAP patrol dog in kennels

This page: • Early German police badge • General Hans Dreyer • Lance sergeant’s brassard (SWAPOL) Opposite page: • ‘On the spoor’ • In hot pursuit of SWAPO

INTRODUCTION

THE DEBT OWED TO KOEVOET General Johan van der Merwe SSAS, SED, SOE, SAP Security Branch Although the SA Army was among the best in the world when it came to conventional warfare, bush warfare was new and unfamiliar territory. In the late 1970s it had great problems restricting the movements of armed insurgents as SWAPO was beginning to gain ground in the north of South-West Africa. In an effort to increase operational capacity and improve intelligence gathering, the army and the police together decided to establish a special unit, which came into being on 11 January 1979. This operation, under the command of General Hans Dreyer, which was codenamed K, later became known as Koevoet. Initially, its task was to obtain intelligence and pass it on to the army, which would follow it up. However, it soon became apparent that the usual methods of intelligence gathering were useless and that other techniques of follow-up would have to be used. With their background and expertise Dreyer and the members of Koevoet developed a network whereby information obtained by sources was immediately reacted upon. The unit succeeded in persuading SWAPO members to work with them. Apart from the fact that the members of SWAPO were among the best trackers in the world, they knew its modus operandi inside out and, in collaboration with members of the police, Koevoet evolved into one of the world’s most formidable anti-terrorist units. This was further strengthened by the excellent relationship enjoyed with the air force helicopter pilots in the operational area. These helicopters were equipped with special machine guns capable of sowing death and destruction. The pilots were very skilled and, as soon as Koevoet members knew of the location of SWAPO members, the assistance of helicopters was called in, resulting in their large-scale destruction. Landmines were a serious problem, impeding the movement of members of the South African security forces in South-West Africa. The Buffel used by the army offered limited landmine protection and the police, in collaboration with Denel/ Mecham, began to develop a vehicle to provide more effective protection and operation. In the early 1980s the Casspir was introduced, a significant step forward and now used worldwide as one of the best mineproofed vehicles. With the aid of the Casspir, Koevoet members were able to track infiltrators in the north of SWA much more efficiently; they also used the Casspir as a deadly weapon. All these factors together contributed to

This page: • SARP sports patch • COIN training • Natal Police magazine, 1907, first issue • SAP WW II forage cap Opposite page: • Patrol dog at the ready

‘In the early 1980s the Casspir was introduced, a significant step forward.’ 8

INTRODUCTION

This spread: • SARP Special Task Force training Opposite page: • General Johan van der Merwe • Hennie Heymans’s medal group • Ben Vermaak and Hans Dreyer, Oshakati This page: • Unidentified and Leon Mellet, Oshakati (Press photo, Police PR Division) • Typical Koevoet scene

the success of Koevoet; their background and experience as members of the police, their ability to make decisions on the spur of the moment, the close comradeship that existed, their innovative ideas and hard work all contributed to the great success they achieved. Dreyer was an outstanding commander who was ready to sacrifice his life for his task and his men. Koevoet policemen were pioneers in bush warfare and there is no doubt that their establishment halted SWAPO’s military assault. Opinions differ as to whether the fight by the army and the police against SWAPO altered the course of history. It simply delayed the inevitable, well timed coincidentally with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The view is often held that Koevoet won the military struggle but that their actions in Ovamboland led to SWAPO winning the election. The Ovambos are the largest population group in Namibia and the Security Branch had reliable information that most Ovambos supported SWAPO. In addition, SWAPO also had considerable support among the other population groups and the Security Branch always held the view that SWAPO would easily win any election in SWA. Finally, it is undeniable that if SWAPO had succeeded in taking over the government in SWA through force of arms, this would have led to chaos in SWA and the RSA would have suffered badly. In that event it is highly likely that SWA (Namibia) would have allowed the ANC and its armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe to establish bases, which would have threatened SA. Only the highest praise and appreciation is due to every member of Koevoet, who faced many days of mortal danger so as to ensure that the first election in SWA (Namibia) could take place in a democratic manner and that the interests of the previous government of SA were protected

INTRODUCTION

FIGHTING POLICE Brigadier H.B. ‘Hennie’ Heymans MA, SAP Security Branch There are two models of policing: the soft approach of the unarmed civilian townpolice and the hard approach of gendarmerie, generally known as a semi-military police force. Since the establishment of policing in Southern Africa, it has been both civilian and semi-military in nature. Policing took place either on foot or on horseback, depending on the area served. The first foot police unit, for urban areas, was the Rattle Watch in Cape Town. The mounted ruyterwacht operated in the rural and frontier areas. There were also commandos, comprising mainly farmers, each district or ward under a field cornet. The military at The Castle in Cape Town were also responsible for upholding law and order. Throughout its history the police in Southern Africa have differed greatly from the ideal proposed by Sir Robert Peel in 1829 and exemplified by the London Metropolitan Police. However, in Ireland and in the former British colonies as well as their mandated areas, such as Palestine, the gendarmerie model was adopted and the police were semi-military, armed and mounted. In Southern Africa the police have been regarded as a quick, money-saving solution to many problems. Unlike the London model of policing, the police here have been viewed as the first line of defence. In the former Rhodesia, for example, the British South Africa Police was the senior regiment and on parade they took the place of honour right of the line. Before the Anglo-Boer War the police in the British colonies of Natal, the Cape and Rhodesia and in the two Boer republics were of the gendarmerie types. Boer police and colonial police fought in the Anglo-Boer War on opposite sides. It was Lord Strathcona who came up with the idea of bringing elements of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) from Canada to South Africa to combat the Boer commandos and their guerrilla tactics. They were the first police force to go into battle. In June 1904 King Edward conferred the prefix ‘Royal’ on the NWMP for their excellent service rendered during the Anglo-Boer War. They then became the Royal North-West Mounted Police and, ultimately, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (French: Gendarmerie royale du Canada). During the later stages of the Anglo-Boer War the South African Constabulary was formed to combat Boer guerrillas. With the Union of South Africa the Union Defence Force was established in 1912 and the SA Police in 1913. In terms of the South African Defence Act and the Police Act, both of 1912, defence force personnel could be used to assist the police and policemen could be called in to serve with the defence force. From 1913 to 1926 South Africa had two police forces: the SA Mounted Riflemen – a military force - and the SA Police, a civilian paramilitary force. From 1926 the SA Police performed both police and military functions when called upon to do so. Apart from service in World War I and in World War II, in which the South African Police provided two brigades, we also saw service in Palestine in the late 1930s and Kenya in the early 1950s. When our turn came to combat insurgents, the police already had battle-hardened men who had served in Rhodesia and South-West Africa. Thus, countering riots in Soweto or combating terrorism in Johannesburg; counter-insurgency duties in South-West Africa or Rhodesia, or patrolling rural areas in Zululand; combating faction fights or attending to a mundane road accident in a city street, were all ordinary police duties in Southern Africa. We saw combating terrorism as a police function. Terrorism is a crime in the same way that sabotage is a crime; attacks with RPGs on 12

‘The Mountie always gets his man!’

INTRODUCTION towns and cantonments, the killing of security forces on patrol or of headmen and chiefs therefore became a police matter. The perpetrators were criminals and were taken to court. Our police were hard men who lived close to the ground and moved in small patrols. We could also follow spoor and gather information. We were taught to manage the scene of the crime and to gather evidence. Once on the track of perpetrators we would continue day and night in our efforts to arrest or kill suspects, who could choose to fight to the death or surrender. We were also successful in turning many terrorists. The SAP have been deeply involved in the turbulent history of South Africa. It was deployed in instances of severe unrest and strikes shortly after its establishment when during 1914 it helped to quell a rebellion of former Boer fighters. During the late 1980s to early 1990s the SAP was one of the greatest mobile light mechanised infantry police forces in the

SAP FACT FILE

From 1 April 1913 to 27 April 1994, during the period when the SAP was in existence, 1 975 policemen died in the execution of their duties. TERENCE KING

SAP HEAD COUNT CIRCA 1910 • Whites: 4 000 • Non-whites: 2 000 • Total: 6 000

western world with roughly 8 000 men dedicated to counter-insurgency and riot control. The versatile Casspir and its variants provided the necessary mobility and protection. During the war in South-West Africa, the SAP were the first in and the last to leave. At the end of its lifetime in 1994 the SAP were serving not only on the borders of the country but also in volatile townships all over South Africa with the assistance of elements of the SADF, thus keeping the uneasy peace and making possible the constitutional changes in the country

This spread: • German SWA Colonial police, WW I This page: • Railway Police blazer badge • Police sports jacket blazer badge • Mounted police ceremonial helmet

INTRODUCTION

THE SAP’S ELITE FIGHTING UNIT Major General Johan Burger, SAP Security Branch Every war produces its quota of heroes and of elite or Special Forces. Normally these would be associated primarily with the military and it is rare to find a discussion on policemen or police units as part of this association. But Koevoet was such a unit. At the height of its existence during the 1980s, Koevoet was widely regarded as an elite fighting unit amongst the security forces in South-West Africa, both military and police. In spite of constituting less than 10% of the total number of security forces in the operational areas of SWA, it is estimated that Koevoet accounted for approximately 80% to 90% of all SWAPO losses within the country. As is the case with all Special Forces in modern warfare, they unfortunately also gained a reputation for ruthlessness and atrocities. Sometimes Special Forces invite this kind of criticism because of incidents of extreme violence or cruelty, but more often it is as a result of their success that they become the target of sustained enemy propaganda. Koevoet was no exception. Nor did it help when a senior SAP officer publicly emphasised the ‘ruthlessness’ of their operational approach. At a press conference in January 1984, Lieutenant General Victor Verster, overall commander of the SAP’s counter-insurgency units, referred to Koevoet as ‘a cold, calculating, efficient and very ruthless unit as far as the enemy is concerned’. This kind of statement only served to verify propaganda attacks against the unit. Koevoet was officially established on 6 January 1979 as a dedicated extension of the SAP’s Security Branch in the operational areas of SWA. This was as a result of a request from the military the previous year for more accurate intelligence on the movement and modus operandi of SWAPO terrorists. The initial thinking was to create a joint unit comprising members of the SADF’s Recces and the SAP’s Security Branch more or less along the lines of the highly regarded Selous Scouts in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). A senior Security Branch officer, Colonel Hans Dreyer, affectionately known as ‘Sterk Hans’, was sent to Rhodesia where he studied the counter-insurgency methods and tactics of the Selous Scouts and the BSAP’s Special Branch (Rhodesian equivalent of our Security Branch). On his return it was decided to follow a different approach. A secret intelligence-gathering operation, known only by its codename Ops K, was established with Dreyer in charge. The primary object of this operation was to generate the kind of operational intelligence that would enable military units such as the Recces to attack and destroy the terrorists. For this purpose a relatively small unit comprising ten white and black members of the Security Branch was attached to Special Operation K and on 11 January 1979 commenced their activities in Ovamboland (Military Sector 10). Of course it didn’t take long before members of the operation started using the term ‘Koevoet’ (crowbar) in preference to the ostensibly meaningless letter K. Significantly, however, ‘crowbar’ in this instance also represents the important symbolic analogy of the ability to use a relatively small instrument to move or destroy a much larger object. Soon after its establishment Koevoet, as it now became known, realised that they would have to develop their own offensive capability. It happened too frequently that the military response to their intelligence was, for various

‘Koevoet accounted for approximately 80% to 90% of all SWAPO losses.’

This page: • SAP Special Task Force qualification badge • L.P.E. Malan, Minister Adrian Vlok and Hein Kilian • SAP helicopter (deadly combo-chopper and car) Opposite page: • SAP harbour launch, Durban Bay, 1970s • SAP Alouette • Alighting from a Casspir, Maleoskop (B for Beskerming on number plate)

INTRODUCTION

Opposite page: • Namibian Police cap after independence • Eugene de Kock checking FN • Police medal parade, Pretoria This page: • ANC Congress, 1930, Bloemfontein • Poster

reasons, inadequate and allowed SWAPO terrorists to escape. Koevoet gradually recruited more fighting personnel, especially from the local population who served in the various police and military units in the operational areas. These members were appointed and trained as special constables and eventually made up approximately 90% of Koevoet’s total manpower. There was also a concomitant increase in the number of permanent (white) members of the SAP who joined Koevoet on a voluntary basis. At the time of its disbandment during 1989 Koevoet numbered a total of 3 000 members with operational bases in Oshakati (Ovamboland), Opuwo (Kaokoland) and Rundu (Kavango). Perhaps Koevoet’s most lasting contribution was not so much in the number of terrorists they killed or arrested, but in the development of the unique methods and tactics that were later copied by military units such as the famous 101 Battalion and others. In essence these methods and tactics involved the development of mobile fighting groups comprising four armoured personnel carriers and one armoured logistics vehicle. Each fighting group consisted of approximately ten black and one white member for each of the personnel carriers, with the senior white member in command. Incidently, Koevoet was also instrumental in the development of a new mine-resistant armoured personnel carrier called the Casspir that later became associated not only with Koevoet, but also with other police and some military counter-insurgency units. The name Casspir is

a reference to the cooperation between the SAP and the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) in the development of this vehicle. The Casspir was equipped with heavy machine guns and with its firepower, mobility, good intelligence, the tracking ability of its special constables and their knowledge of the area and local conditions, combined with excellent leadership, Koevoet became much more than a successful fighting unit. They became a deterrent to SWAPO attacks forcing them to change their tactics of infiltrating in large groups because of the high number of terrorists killed by Koevoet. Because of their effectiveness as a fighting unit, they were able to turn many of the captured terrorists and convince them to join Koevoet. The advantages of this approach are obvious and include intelligence and the ability to occasionally launch pseudooperations against SWAPO. In the end Koevoet, as a fighting unit, remained undefeated but the negative publicity and propaganda eventually led to its restructuring during the mid-1980s, which involved formally changing its name to the SouthWest African Police Counter-Insurgency Unit, SWAPOL COIN, in 1985 and finally to its disbandment in 1989. It is a moot question what would have happened if Koevoet had never existed. The answer is simply that the military and perhaps even the police would have been forced to intensify their numbers and efforts at a much greater cost in an attempt to achieve the same result. And even then it is debatable whether they would have had the same kind of impact. Koevoet’s success also allowed the military to focus much more on external operations in Angola and eventually contributed to a situation where the future of SWA could be determined by a political settlement free from military threat

‘It is a moot question what would have happened if Koevoet had never existed.’

WORLD EVENTS 1939 September After Germany attacks Poland, Britain and France declare war and WW II begins. 1940 June The British Expeditionary Force is evacuated from Dunkirk. 1940 August Battle of Britain starts in the air as Germany prepares to invade England. 1941 June Germany attacks Russia over a wide front in Operation Barbarossa. 1942 June Tobruk falls to the Germans and over 10 000 South Africans taken prisoner. 1942 October Battle of El Alamein in the Desert and the tide of the war starts turning against Germany. 1943 January Russian victory at Stalingrad as German Sixth Army surrenders. 1944 June Allies invade France on D-Day and liberation of Europe begins (Operation Overlord). 1944 December The Battle of the Bulge takes place in the Ardennes; Germany’s last offensive. 1945 May VE Day on 8 May, as World War II ends in Europe, with VJ Day following on 15 August. LOCAL EVENTS 1920 December SA undertakes administration of SWA under a League of Nations Class C mandate. 1921 July Radical white workers found the CPSA (Communist Party of South Africa) in Cape Town. 1932 August Ovambo population demands an end to South African domination. 1939 February Nationalist Afrikaner organisation called the Ossewabrandwag founded in Bloemfontein. 1939 September UP caucus rejects PM Hertzog’s stance of neutrality and deposes him in favour of Smuts. 1939 September Prime Minister Smuts declares South Africa officially at war with Germany and the Axis. 1942 September John Vorster interned in detention camp at Koffiefontein in the Cape Province. 1944 March Nelson Mandela helps found the ANC Youth League. 1946 April League of Nations is dissolved with SWA now falling under UN trusteeship system. 1948 May Rise of Afrikaner nationalism leads to the Nats winning the election and holding power until 1994. SECURITY FORCES EVENTS 1939 September 334 000 men volunteer for full-time service in the Union Defence Force during the war. 1940 June SAAF carry out first bombing raid of the East African Campaign against Italian forces in Abyssinia. 1941 May Smuts appointed Field Marshal of the British Army, the first South African to hold this rank. 1942 May SA sailors and soldiers assist British troops in the liberation of Madagascar from the Vichy Regime. 1942 June Two infantry brigades and supporting units of the 2nd SA Infantry Division lost at Tobruk. 1942 August SA Naval Forces formed by the amalgamation of the Seaward Defence Force and the SA RNVR. 1942 October Men of the 1st and 2nd SA Infantry Divisions participate in the second Battle of El Alamein. 1943 May SAAF squadrons complete 33 991 sorties and destroy 342 Axis aircraft in North Africa. 1944 April 6th SA Armoured Division lands in Taranto; Italy starts fighting against the Germans. 1945 August Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 11 000 known South African war dead in WW II. UNIT EVENTS 1939 January Captain Jan Taillard sent to SWA as an undercover police agent to spy on pro-Nazi Germans. 1939 April South African Police task force of over 300 men sent to Windhoek to foil planned putsch. 1939 June SAP takes over the policing of South-West Africa, handing back control to the SWA Police in April 1981. 1939 October Commissioner of the SAP asked by General Sir Pierre van Ryneveld to provide a police brigade. 1941 July The 6th SA Infantry (Police) Brigade leaves Durban for North Africa on the troopship Mauritania. 1942 January The Police Brigade captures 14 500 POWs at Bardia, Sollum, Halfaya and Fig Tree Wells. 1942 June 1 138 policemen of the two SAP battalions of the Police Brigade surrender at Tobruk to Rommel. 1943 March Smuts commutes SA Nazi sympathiser Robey Leibrandt’s death sentence to life imprisonment. 1944 April Policemen under Brigadier Palmer, serving in the new 6th SA Armoured Division, land in Italy. 1945 May Policemen return to duty in SA having lost seventy-four men and earning thirty-six gallantry decorations.