MY CAREER IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE Aure (Haughton Badenhorst) Coetzer
I started my career as Aurè Haughton on 12 January 1994 at the then Pretoria Police College, so when South Africa became an internationally accepted democracy in 1994, when President Nelson Mandela was elected as first President of the new South Africa, bringing the era of "apartheid" to an end, I was four months a member of the South African Police. June 1994 I was placed at my first station - Swartruggens Police, as Charge Office Commander. The new democratic order brought about many changes in the country and had a substantial impact on policing. As a 19-year-old I had to grow up fast to keep up with all the changes. I was transferred to Rustenburg Police in 1995. I started after hours with my studies in Policing, to empower myself to perform my duties more effectively. During 1996 I got married (my surname changed to Badenhorst) and I got promoted to Sergeant.
72 Nongqai Vol 13 No 7A – Dames
