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Ons weet daar is baie bejaardes onder onsmense wie se aardse tentwoning dag na dag swakker word, …….maar wat tog innerlik groei en sterk word.
Dankie dat U Uself as die Onveranderlike bevestig het – veral wanneer ons die verandering en verderf rondom en binne-in ons waarneem.
Ons aanbid U as die God wat ons ganse lewe beheer: die jeug met sy krag en onoorwinlikheid, sy lewensverwagting en onverskrokkenheidmaar wat ons ook, soos ons ouer word, begenadig met jare wat rypheid en ervaring, rustigheid, vrede en wysheid bring.
Ons dank U dat U die lewe in sy geheel mooi gemaak het: die dagbreek en die sonsopkoms; die volheid en die middaguur; die glorie van die sonsondergang; die skemeraand en die nagstilte.
Dankie dat U ook met ons is op die laaste skof van die pelgrimsreis
Dankie dat U ons in die ouderdom nie begewe of verlaat nie; dat U, net soos toe ons jonk was, by ons is en dat ons steeds bewus is van die ewige arms onder ons.
Amen
Uit: Op vlerke van geloof. Die Kroon op 25 jaar se skryfwerk. Solly Ozrovech.
Principles of the Kingdom continued
Principle means –
• A comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine
• A rule or code of conduct/behaviour
• A fundamental, primary or general law of truth
• The fundamental truths of a system of belief
• Values, beliefs, and moral laws
Jesus started preaching the message of the Kingdom of God in Matthew four verse seventeen when He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Then from chapter five to seven He goes on to preach in greater detail the repentant lifestyle that characterizes the people of the kingdom. He starts with the Blessings, which are also referred to as the Beatitudes
Matt 5:1-2 NKJ And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
According to the custom of the day, a person would usually stand to read Scripture. However, the most respected Jewish teachers would sit to expound it, often with disciples at their feet.
Each beatitude or blessing has a two-fold aim –
• To show who are the persons that are to be considered truly blessed, and what their characters are
• To show what the blessedness is, as promised to the persons of kingdom character, which is attainable by living according to kingdom principles.
Matt 5:3 NKJ Blessed is the poor in spirit, for theirs are the kingdom of heaven.
The poverty of spirit that Jesus is referring to here, is an attitude of soul whereby we submit to the work of Holy Spirit in us, to empty ourselves of self in order that we may be filled with Jesus Christ. It includes –
• Being humble, self-denying, and lowly in our own eyes
• To think of ourselves as little children, weak, foolish, and insignificant
• To value others above ourselves
• To acknowledge that God is great and in comparison, we are nothing
• That He is holy, and we are sinful
• To humble ourselves before Him, and under His mighty hand
• Seeing that we have no righteousness in ourselves, but only what Jesus has attained for us on the cross, and
• That we may depend on Him and His merit as the Christ for our justification, and on His grace for our salvation.
Please read Luke 18:9-14.
Verse 13 But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favourable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am!
The tax collector displayed a broken and contrite heart when he cried out for mercy to God, displaying the attitude of a person poor in spirit.
In general people do not look on humility as a virtue or a strength, but Jesus puts poverty of spirit (humility) as the first principle, and thus, as the most important of the principles of the kingdom of God. Self-denial that begets humility is the first lesson to be learned in the school of the kingdom of God and forms the foundation of all other Beatitudes/Blessings.
Humility – Greek – 5012 – tapĕinŏphrŏsunē -humiliation of mind, i.e. modesty:humbleness of mind, humility, loneliness of mind.
Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one’s importance. It includes lack of pride, lack of vanity, putting the needs of others before one’s own needs, and sacrificing for the love of others.
Luke 14:11 KJV: For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
The blessing pronounced on the poor in spirit, is that they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. This implies that they will grow into the spiritual maturity which will fit them to be joint rulers with Christ as His Bride, of His everlasting kingdom
Matt 5:4 KJV Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
There are three types of mourning –
• Natural mourning. Mary and Martha mourning for the death of their brother, Lazarus. See John 11:14-37.
• Sinful mourning or the sorrow of the world.
2 Cor 7:10b AMPC …but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].
• Gracious mourning or the sorrow of the godly over sin. See Psalm 51.
Godly sorrow elicits the grace of God upon the mourner.
Godly mourning includes –
• Penitence and compunction over our own sin nature, iniquity, sins, and transgressions
• Mourning for the sins of others
• Mourning for the sins of the Body of Christ. Ezek 9:4
• Mourning for the sins of the nations. Lam3:48-49
• Mourning for those who are perishing. Jude23a
• Mourning and looking to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. 1 John 1:79
The mourners are blessed because they partake of the labour of Jesus, who Himself was a Man of sorrows.
Is 53:3 AMPC He was despised and rejected and forsaken of men, a Man of sorrows and pains and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.
Luke 19:41 NKJ Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it.
John 11:35 NKJ Jesus wept.
Mourners will be comforted.
Comforted – Greek – 3870 – parakalĕō – to call near, invoke, beseech, be of good comfort, give, exhortation, pray.
Comfort – the easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress. To give strength and hope. To ease grief or trouble, console. To give solace or to soothe.
The greatest comfort that Christians are graced with, is Holy Spirit, the Comforter. See John 14:16, 17, 25, 26 and John 16:7-11, 13-15.
Matt 5:5 NKJ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Meek – Greek – 4239 – praűs – mild, humble, meek, gentle. Meek also means patient, long-suffering, forbearing, quiet, docile, lamblike, yielding, and obedient.
Meekness is an attitude or quality of heart whereby a person is willing to accept and submit without resistance to the will and desire of somebody else, especially God. The meek quietly submit themselves to God, to His Word, and to His correction. They follow His instructions, comply with His designs, and are gentle towards all men.
Titus 3:1-2 NKJ Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no-one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
The meek can bear provocation without being inflamed by it and can remain silent or return a soft answer.
Prov 15:1 NKJ A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The meek are rarely provoked, are easily pacified, can remain calm when others lose control of themselves, and in exercising patience in such circumstances, they keep possession of and guard their own souls.
Prov 4:23 AMPC Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
The meek are blessed because they are at peace with themselves and with others and as a result they enjoy God, themselves, their friends, and whatever circumstance they find themselves in. They are blessed to live in God and die in God.
Matt 11:29 AMPC Take My yoke upon You and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
The promised blessing for the meek is that they will inherit the earth, meaning that they shall rule and reign with Christ in the New Earth and the New Heavens. Their lamblike disposition mirrors that of the Lamb of God who will reign forever and ever. See Rev 3:21; Rev 5:6, 8, 12.
Matt 5:6 NKJ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.
Righteousness – Greek – 1343 – dikaiŏsunē – equity (of character or act); Christian justification, righteousness.
From 1432 – dikaiŏs – equitable (of character or act); innocent, holy, just, meet, right.
Hunger and thirst, when applied to the body, refers to the necessities that the body needs to sustain life. When applied to the spiritual life, it refers to the necessities of the inner man to sustain spiritual life and growth.
Righteousness, in the above verse, includes all spiritual necessities that we need to walk before God, and that will render us perfect and holy in His sight. See Gen 17:1 and Matt 5:48 AMPC.
1 Peter 1:15 AMPC But as the One who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.
The greatest objects of our hunger and thirst should be God, His kingdom, and instruction in His righteousness.
Ps 42:1-2 AMPC As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
Ps 63:1-2 AMPC O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. So have I looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory.
Matt 6:33 AMPC But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, i.e. the whole counsel of God, He that has put the desire for righteousness in our heart, will surely fill us to overflowing with His spiritual blessings.
Eph 1:3 AMPC May blessing (praise, laudation and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm.
Matt 5:7 NKJ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Mercy – Greek – 1653 – ĕlĕĕō – compassionate (by word or act especially by divine grace), have pity on, show mercy to, receive mercy.
The merciful are persons who will, out of godly love and compassion, take pity on and help others that are distressed and in misery. They will –
• Have compassion on the souls of others and help them
• Pity the ignorant and instruct them
• Take note of the careless and those who are in sin, and warn them
• Have compassion on the melancholy and sorrowing, and comfort them
• Take note of those in want, and supply their needs, and
• Return good for evil.
The merciful are blessed because they mirror God’s mercy and compassion to people in need both in word and deed. And thus, sowing mercy plentifully, they will reap a harvest of mercy for themselves from both God and man.
Luke 6:35-36 AMPC But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favours so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].
Sarie van Niekerk-redakteur Nongqai Vroue.
Oorspronklike skildery: Dawn Kellerman
Teen die tyd dat julle hierdie uitgawe van Nongqai lees bly daar nog net twee maande oor voor Kersfees. Kan julle dit glo? Hierdie jaar het vir my teen ‘n ongekende spoed verby gesnel. Dit voel al vir my of dit nou eintlik eers die middel van die jaar moet wees.
Maar mense dit is nie! Die matrieks is al halfpad met hulle finale eksamens en dan is hulle ook klaar met skool. Aan almal wie kinders of kleinkinders het wat nou besig is met hulle finale matriek eksamens, sterkte vir hulle (die kinders en kleinkinders) maar verval ook vir ma, pa, ouma of oupa wie se senuwees gewoonlik meer vreet as diegene wat die eksamens skryf,
Die dame op ons voorblad hierdie maand is die afgetrede kol. Dawn Kellerman (Stewart). Die is ‘n selfportret van haar wat sy geskilder het vir ons voorblad. Dankie Dawn.
Die Nongqai is hierdie maand nie vreeslik dik nie, want soos sommige van julle weet was ek die afgelope tyd drie weke siek gewees en moes ek maar stories kry by mense wat ek weet gereed was om vir ons lekker stories te lewer. Dames, ek is regtig dringend op soek na iemand wat bereid is om nou al saam met my in te val en te help met die Nongqai. Om persoonlike redes wil ek (DV) einde Mei volgende jaar die laaste Nongqai onder my naam uitgee. As een of meer van julle bereid is om te help sal ek julle van nou af net bietjie inbring in alles wat en hoe ons Nongqai aanpak. Dan kan die nuwe spannetjie daarna aangaan met Nongqai. Ek sal nog help waar ek kan maar ek wil regtig onttrek van die Nongqai af. As daar nie een of meer dames na vore kom om die Nongqai
oor te neem nie, sal die MEI 2025 uitgawe ongelukkig die laaste van die Nongqai Vroue wees.
Daar is ‘n paar baie interessante artikels in die Nongqai. Ek hoop julle gaan elkeen baie geniet soos wat ek dit geniet het om dit te lees. Dames terwyl ek nou besig is met stories. Stuur asseblief vir my ‘n klompie lekker stories en baie mooi foto’s vir die volgende uitgawe. Dit sal waarskynlik dalk ons laaste uitgawe vir die jaar wees. So ek vra julle almal help om dit ‘n baie spesiale uitgawe te maak.
Ek oorweeg dit om Desember bietjie uit te span en dan weer in Januarie (DV) die volgende uitgawe uit te gee. Julle kan egter maar julle stories en foto’s na my e-pos toe stuur ek sal dit kry. Net weer my e-pos adres: sarievanniekerk123@gmail.com
Baie dankie aan almal wat so gereeld bydraes stuur en aan die wat nog nie begin het om hul bydraes te lewer nie, dink julle nie dit is nou weer ‘n slag julle beurt ook om van julle te laat hoor nie?
Onthou, enigiets is nuus, solank dit iets is oor julle lewens, loopbane gesinne en ander interessante dinge. Mense julle hoef nie professionele skrywers te wees om artikels vir Nongqai te skryf nie. Ons praat mos maar almal dieselfde taal. Ons alledaagse Afrikaans of Engels. Vertel dinge presies hoe dit gebeur het, net ‘n lekker lees vertelling, dit is al wat ons soek.
REUKE IN
POLISIE. Brig. (afgetree) Fanie Bouwer.
Dit was die bekende digter DJ Opperman wat gedig, en wat ek op skool geleer het, van "My nooi is in 'n nartjie, my ouma in kaneel", wat my weer aan reuke laat dink. Die bekende TV en radiopersoonlikheid, Dave Pepler, het onlangs gesê dat 'n mens 10 000 reuke kan onderskei. Hy versamel ook parfuums.
Ek wil net ná enkele reuke verwys.
Ek onthou sekere reuke toe ek as student by my eerste polisie stasie in Umtata begin werk het.
Vandag nog assosieer ek herinneringe uit my vervloë (polisie)dae met die reuke en geure wat destyds met ons dienste by polisiestasies gepaardgegaan het.
Ek is nie seker of ál die reuke my nou nostalgies maak of net my terugdink as't ware net weer aktiveer nie.
Ek het oor die jare in my loopbaan by verskeie polisiestasies gewerk - oues en ook nuwes.
Ek het my altyd verbeel dat ek ek meer van die reuk(e) in ou polisiestasies gehou het. Dalk was dit omdat Umtata 'n ou polisiestasie gehad het.
Daardie ou polisiestasies het vir my ook 'n soort van karakter gehad, eiesoortige reuke en al. My tweedelaaste polisiestasie, Woodstock, was só een. Khayelitsha sin weer was redelik nuut gewees.
Die lang polisiedossiere, SAP 3, wat so langwerpig onder die toonbank gelê het, en wat mens elke keer in 3 dele moes vou, en die verskillende staatsvorms wat in vakkies in 'n kas gepak was, het hulle eiesoortige reuke gehad. Ek het toé gedink dít is die Staat se reuke.
Daar in my begindae as student het ek my verbeel dat 'n aanklagkantoor al om die anderdag anderster ruik. En toe vinnig besef dat dit eintlik 'n gegewe is.
Op 'n dag het ek gou besef hoekom dit so was. En dit was omdat daar kort-kort vuil verdagtes of dronkies met hulle stink drank-asems eers in die aanklagkantoor geprosesseer was alvorens hulle na die selle geneem was.
Baie keer ruik ek iets wat my aan die verlede laat dink. Of aan iets spesifieks.
So stap ek nou die dag by 'n oud-polisie-kolonel se opleidingskamer in waar hy opleiding gee aan persone wat vir vuurwapenlisensies aansoek doen.
Hy het nie op daardie oomblik kliënte gehad nie, maar was besig om sy eie jaggeweer met 'n 2 X 4 flennielap en geweerolie skoon te maak.
Toe ek weer die reuk van geweerolie kry in sy lesingkamer, laat dit my onmiddellik aan Umtata dink toe die stasiebevelvoerder ons in die inloop-wapenkluis die vuurwapens laat skoonmaak en olie het in afwagting van 'n parade-inspeksie.
Polisieselle is nou weer iets wat vreeslik stink kan ruik al probeer jou dit hoe gereeld dip en ontsmet.
Ek onthou hoe ons destyds van 'n lid gepraat het wat in ander afdelings as polisiestasies sy loopbaanrigting gevind het. Ons het dan gesê: "Hy weet nie eers hoe ruik 'n stink polisiesel nie".
Ek sluit af:
Polisiestasies het vandag nog sekere reuke, selfs na wie ook al se 'liberation' van 1994.
Hennie Heymans: kommentaar.
So het die "van" ook sy eie sorghum bier-reuk gehad. Die lykshuis het ook sy eie reuk gehad. Die SAP-kollege het sy eie ‘Pretoria-Wes’ reuk gehad. So ook die kollege se perdestalle - Trein kompartemente het ook 'n eie reuk!
Lt.kol. (afgetree) Dawn Kellerman
Sarie hierdie is alles behalwe 'n heldedaad en seker hopeloos te veel woorde maar as dit potensiaal het sal ek daaraan skaaf.
Die destydse maj(v) Dawn Kellerman
(Skildery: Dawn Kellerman.)
Dit was die jaar 1985 in die vorige eeu. Selfoonkommunikasie was ‘n vreemde woord.
Ek maj.(V) Dawn Kellerman, kurator van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie Museum en konst.(V)
Louise Kruger was op pad na Ventersburg om die polisie museum daar te gaan inspekteur.
Wát ‘n wegbreek en ons was só opgewonde! Hoekom ons middernag op die snelweg was
kan ek nie onthou nie maar ons het gelag en ontspanning tussen die werk beplan. Ons was ingeboek in die Ventersburg Hotel.
Skielik het Louise my aandag getrek. Sy het hom sien lê. Ek weet nie hoekom ek hom nie gesien het nie. Hy het opgekrul soos in ‘n fetus posisie op die soom van die teer gelê. Alleen in die groot donker nag ongeveer 50 kilometers vanaf Ventersburg, ons bestemming. Ek het geskrik. Moes ek gaan vasstel of net aanry. Ek was bang. Die wêreld is siek, dit is gevaarlik om enigsins stil te hou en uit jou motor te klim, en dit nogal in die donker. Mense word vermoor en vrouens word verkrag. Ons weet dit. Ons leef en werk in ‘n milieu waar dit ’n realiteit is. Ek was vererg. Hy moes liewer net glad nie daar gewees het nie.
Die destydse konst.(v) Louise Kruger.
(Skildery: Lt.kol. (v) Dawn Kellerman.
Ons het die reg gehad om hom te ignoreer en niemand sou ons ooit kwalik neem nie. As daar iets sou gebeur, sou almal eerder sê ons moes van beter geweet het. Ek het egter spoed verminder en Louise het my aan die arm geneem en bekommerd gesê, “Ry net asseblief.” Dit het ‘n refrein in hierdie donker nag geword wat my verantwoordelik gemaak het en dit was nie net meer hy, die vreemdeling in die donker nag nie, maar ook vir haar vir wie se veiligheid ek verantwoordelik was.
Ek het besluit om die makliker weg te volg. Die weg wat wegskram van betrokkenheid. Ek het verlig gevoel. Hierdie besluit het die onrus in my gemoed gestil en ek het
aangery, oor die middelman van die pad beweeg na die anderkant van die pad waar ek ‘n eenoog voertuig sien aankom het. Ek het aanhoudend die ligte geflikker en die voertuig het langs ons tot stilstand gekom. Vier Swart mans. Ek het die skrik in hulle voel resoneer met die skrik in ons. In die dowwe lig kon ekhulle sien terugdeins. Skielik was ek gekonfronteer met die swartheid van hulle velle.
Ek was bang vir hulle omdat hulle velle swart was. Ek was nie bang vir hulle omdat hulle sleg was of omdat hulle my moontlik leed sou aandoen nie, ek was bang omdat hulle so swart was soos die nag rondom ons. Ek het vir myself belaglik geklink toe ek hulp gevra het vir die fetusman langs die pad. Voordat ek nog die bang en besliste nee gehoor het, het ek geweet dat die bal was terug in my baan. Weer was dit ek en Louise wat realisties probeer wees het. Die risiko was groot en die man wat steeds daar gelê het.
Toe ek die voertuig omdraai het ek ‘n noot van ongeloof in Louise se stem gehoor en moes ek met die bangheid binne my probeer om haar te oortuig.
Ek het terug gedraai en het op die soom van die pad aan die verkeerde kant terug gery en skielik het die kopligte op hom geskyn waar hy reeds opgekrul op die soom van die teer gelê het. Angs het my maag laat saam ruk en toe was dit asof ek hierdie bang, hulpelose en beperkte liggaam verlaat het. Ek het buite gestaan en koud en berekenend hierdie situasie bekyk. Ek het Louise probeer oortuig ons het nie ‘n keuse gehad nie en het nader gery. Hy het nie dadelik opgestaan nie en ek het gewonder of hy nie dood of ernstig beseer was nie. Die voertuig was baie na aan hom toe hy stadig orent gekom het. Skielik was ek met sy teenwoordigheid hier langs my op die pad gekonfronteer.
Louise het die deure gesluit. Ek kon die agterdog en bekommernis van ‘n potensiële gevaarlike situasie in Louise se stem hoor.
Toe het ons hom begin ondervra. Vrae waarmee ons hierdie las van ‘n mens wat nou ‘n bang ergernis geword het, wou oopkloof en die lelik en die sleg en die bedreiging wou ontbloot sodat hy geen verweer sou hê wanneer ons hom net daar agterlaat nie. Hierdie mens het egter vir my ‘n nog groter las as ‘n verleentheid geword toe hy verward en onseker stamelend probeer verduidelik het en gefluister het, “Maar hoekom al die vrae?”
Sonder enige genade het ons egter aangehou. Hy het gepraat van sy ma wat dood is en die ongeluk wat hy gehad het en sy ouers wat op Ventersburg op ‘n plaas woon. Ek het hom om sy identiteitsboekie gevra en hy het afgebuk en in sy tas begin krap. Louise het gesê, “Sê nou hy haal ‘n wapen uit. My maag was op ‘n knop getrek. Louise het skuins in haar sitplek gedraai toe hy afgebuk het. Hy het rondgekrap soos iemand wat iets soek wat hy weet dat dit nie daar is nie.
Die destydse Petro Gunther.
(Skildery: Dawn Kellerman).
Ek was skielik woedend. Alles ‘n klug? Sy ma is dood en nou die kamtige soekery?
Hoe durf hy, hierdie vreemdeling langs die pad in die nag sê dat sy ma dood is
Vir my was dit genoeg. Die gordyn kan maar sak. My skuld is betaal toe hy nie sy boekie kon kry nie en nou kon ons aanry asof hy nie is nie.
Asof dit wat ons daar langs die pad sien lê het net ‘n skim was. Nou kon ons verder gaan. Vroeër die aand het so ons baie gelag en was die lewe so ongekompliseerd. Louise het nog gesê van lekker lag kom lekker huil en ek het net meer gelag.
Vir oulaas het ek met ‘n meerderwaardige verdraagsaamheid uit die hoogte gevra, ”maar het jy dan geen vorm van identiteit by jou nie?”
Hy het ‘n werkkaart van hom uitgehaal met ‘n foto van hom op wat sê dat hy Boshoff is en dat hy ‘n elektriese tekenaar op Secunda was.
Ongevraagd het die gordyn stil weer oopgeskuif. Louise langs my en hy wat langs die kar staan met net die geel kar se deur tussen ons. Nou moes ek praat. Ek moes net sê, “Jammer meneer, ek hoop jy kry ‘n geleentheid,” en aanry.
Die kaart wat hy gespeel het van sy ma wat dood is was onvergeeflik, en juis daarom gaan hy hier in die pikdonker nag agter gelaat word.
En skielik was die spel verby. Soos ‘n vis wat ingekatrol is en te klein is en weer terug gegooi word in die dam.
En toe hoor ek myself sê, “Klim in”.
Ek kon die bang onwerklikheid deur Louise voel toe hy agter inklim. Die man hier agter in die donker en my rug was soos ‘n boog gespan soos iemand wat wag vir die ergste. Sy menswees het die intieme atmosfeer van die kajuit gevul terwyl iets van hom een met ons geword het, nie omdat ons dit so wou hê nie, maar omdat ons brawade, ons range en ons beroep weg was en ons op daardie oomblik net twee weerlose vroue was.
Ek het ‘n geestelike moegheid ervaar en het binne in myself verdwyn. Ek het teen ‘n hoë spoed gery, totaal afwesig. Louise se stem het gedrup van sarkasme en sy wou my ook indirek bykom met haar ondervraging. Ongeduldig wou sy weet hoekom hy in die pad gelê het en nie op die gras langs die pad nie. Daar was ’n doodse gelatenheid by Bossie, wie nou ‘n identiteit gekry het se stem te bespeur toe hy gesê het dat hy baie moeg was en koud gekry het. Die teer was warm en motoriste sou hom nie sien as hy in die gras gelê het nie. Hier diep binne my het ek gewonder of hy nie ook wou sê dat hy daar gelê het omdat hy baie bang en verskriklik alleen gevoel het nie.
Louise het stil geword en ons al drie het besef dat vir die verdere ongeveer 50km ons op hierdie vreemde en ongemaklike intieme manier in die kajuit saam gaan wees.
Dit was asof Louise met ‘n bietjie meer warmte in haar stem wou weet of die storie oor sy ma waar was. Ek wou nie hê sy moet dit vra nie want hier diep binne my het ek ‘n diepe deernis vir hierdie alleen mens begin voel en ek wou nie gehad het die warmte moes uit Louise se stem verdwyn wanneer hy erken dat dit net was om ‘n geleentheid te kry nie. Hy het meer mens begin klink toe hy vertel het dat die polisie hom die vorige nag in kennis gestel het dat sy ma dood is en dat hy weens ‘n motorongeluk nie by die huis kon kom nie.
Ek het my verwonder aan Louise. Haar houding was nou anders en met haar stem het sy uitgereik na hierdie mens wat sekondes gelede nog ‘n bedreiging vir haar was. Ek kon nie verstaan wat dan verander het nie, want buiten dat hy nou Bossie was, was hy nog steeds dieselfde donker vreemdeling. Hierdie vreemdeling wat nie eens ‘n gesig gehad het nie.
Afwesig het ek myself hoor vra waaraan sy ma dood is en afgetrokke geluister dat sy aan ‘n hartaanval dood is, dat sy die mees wonderlikste ma op die hele wêreld was. Hy het gesê dat hy berus en dat hy net dankbaar was dat sy so lank vir hulle gespaar was.
Hierdie “maklike” berusting het my met weersin gevul. Ek het gewonder of dit dan die lewe was. ‘n Ma gee haar lewe, haarself, haar tyd, haar drome vir haar kinders en hulle “berus” so maklik in haar dood.
Ons het Ventersburg genader en hy het gevra dat ons hom net êrens moes aflaai. Hy sou dan sy mense wat op ‘n plaas bly skakel om hom te kom oplaai. Hy het vroeër vir Louise vertel dat hulle vier kinders is wat baie wyd verspreid is, en dat net sy ma en pa op die plaas bly. Dit het belaglik geklink. Waar sou hy in die eerste plek in die middel van die nag op Ventersburg ‘n telefoon kry en wie sou hom kom oplaai? Hy wat nie eens weet of sy broers alreeds die boodskap gekry het nie.
Ek het gesê hy moet my die pad na die plaas beduie. Hy het eers teëgepraat maar ek was beslis.
Ons het baie kilometers ver in die donker nag gery en later in ‘n grondpad afgedraai en verder aangery. Daar was absoluut niks behalwe die stikdonker nag om ons en die twee lig bane waarmee die geel kar die grondpad verlig het nie.
Ek het gevaarlik vinnig gery, nie omdat ek bang was nie, want daarvoor was ek heeltemal te onbetrokke. Louise en Bossie het gesels. Ek was bly om te hoor die agterdog was uit Louise se stem maar hier diep binne het ek geweet dit was maar nog net ons, die nag om ons, en Bossie agter in die motor. Louise het duidelik nie hierdie onrus gedeel nie en het heeltemal ontspanne geklink. Bossie het af en toe die pad beduie. Hy het links beduie en gesê, my ma-hulle bly hier. Ek het die skielike skrik in sy stem gehoor en besef dat hierdie Bossie wat hier agter in die kar sit, nie geweet het dat sy ma dood is nie, Ek het besef dat ek hom vals veroordeel het omdat hy
“berus” het, want Bossie kon nooit berus omdat hy nie geweet het nie. En ek het besef dat hier op hierdie oomblik in die donker warm intimiteit van die geel motor by my en Louise, Bossie eers geweet het dat sy ma dood is.
Hy het skielik besef dat sy ma nie meer daar bly nie. Skielik het sy groot angs en verwardheid die motor gevul. Ek kon dit voel. Dit het my keel toegedruk en ek kon nie praat nie.
Ek kon nie uitreik en sy siel aanraak en vertroos nie, want die wete was nog te skielik en te oorweldigend. Ek het met die plaaspad af gekronkel en die geel kar se ligte het skielik op ‘n plaashuis geskyn. Op die stoepie het ‘n man sonder ‘n hemp gestaan. ‘n
Ander een het na die motor gekom en ‘n ou man het hom verbygesteek.
My hart het binne my geruk. Die ou man was groot en aan die kromheid van sy skouers en die geboënheid van sy hoof kon ek die baie groot smart in hom aanvoel. Bossie het uitgeklim en baie leeg dankie gemompel en toe was Bossie en sy pa in mekaar se arms. Hierdie seer het hulle een gemaak en dit het gelyk of hulle mekaar nooit ooit weer sou los nie.
Louise wou uitklim. Ek kon sien sy wou gaan en hierdie groot seer wegvat.
Dood is weg. Dood is finaal en niemand kan in die onwerklikheid help nie.
Dit het vir my soos heilig skending gevoel om hierdie groot seer en magtelose verlies te aanskou en ek het weggery.
Louise het verwese begin snik en ek was leeg en my hart was stukkend.
Ek het soos ‘n skynheilige verraaier gevoel. Hierdie kamtige goeie mens war lelik gefaal het. Ek het ‘n diepe deernis vir Bossie sonder die gesig wat ons hom sou kon herken gevoel. ‘n Dankbaarheid dat hy in hierdie nagtelike ure gemaak het dat ek myself sien.
Met oë wat dof was van die trane en Louise wat langs my huil het ons by Ventersburg Hotel aangekom wat reeds gesluit was.
Vandag nog het Bossie ‘n band geword wat my en Louise bind en ‘n knop in die keel laat kry as ons van Bossie praat.
Dr. Wilhelm van Deventer
Die prentjie ten opsigte van individuele, groeps-, gemeenskaps-, nasionale en internasionale geweld in Suid-Afrika en die wêreld oor, lyk nie goed nie. Maar waar lê die wortels van dit alles en wat is die onderliggende betekenis daarvan?
Dr. Wilhelm van Deventer
Ek gaan beslis nie die reeds bekende oorsake, aard en gevolge van geweld bespreek nie, maar eerder op die dieperliggende dimensies van geweld fokus. Met respek aan lesers van ander godsdienste of van geen geloof nie, kyk ek in hierdie aflewering na wat ons moontlik uit die Bybel en die geskiedenis van die Kerk kan leer.
Teen die tyd dat die Bybelse skeppingsverhaal die lig gesien het, het daar alreeds talle ander skeppings verhale van ander kulture en godsdienste bestaan. Die Bybelse skeppingsverhaal het min of meer gedurende die 600ste eeu VC tot stand gekom.
Al hierdie ander skeppings verhale het in chaos ontstaan en het met deur middel van gevegte van monsteragtige gediertes gepaard gegaan. Met ander woorde, geweld van nog voor die ontstaan van die wêreld.
In die Bybelse skeppingsverhaal was die wêreld ook maar woes en leeg, maar minstens het die Gees van die Here oor die waters gesweef. In kalmte begin en voltooi God as die Skepper koning Sy kreatiewe werk om die land en water en almal en alles wat daarin is, tot stand te bring.
Harmonie en orde heers tussen God en mens, mens en mens en God, mens en die omgewing. Maar nie lank nie, of almal en alles val uitmekaar uit en Kain vermoor sy broer Abel.
Die God geskape vrede is deur die mag van die sonde versteur en gedurende die res van die Bybel wemel dit van verhale van geweld. Daar is selfs mense wat praat van ‘n Gewelddadige God, veral as gevolg van die Sondvloed en die gebeure by die Toring van Babel, maar ek vind hierdie tipering van God problematies.
Wat wel die geval is, is dat die boeke van Josua en Rigters na ‘n oorlogsroman klink. Ook ten tye van die Konings was daar maar voortdurend onderonsies en die sogenaamde drie groot profete en twaalf Kleiner profete het hul hande vol gehad om hierdie ongeregtighede en wanorde aan te spreek.
Die hoogtepunt (of is dit dalk die laagtepunt?) van hierdie patroon van geweld is die kruisdood van Christus. Daarna lees ons van vele gevalle waar Sy volgelinge vervolg en doodgemaak is.
Gedurende 2007 ry my vrou en ek iewers in die platteland van Ierland en luister na ‘n paneelbespreking op een van hul magdom radiostasies. Die onderwerp was “’n
Gewelddadige Kerk” en die gesprek lede het rondom enkele momente uit die kerkgeskiedenis hul opinies gelig.
Hulle het vlugtig na die Christene se vervolging aan die hand van die Jode en Romeine verwys, maar hoofsaaklik op die Rooms-Katolieke Kerk gefokus. Hou asseblief in gedagte dat Ierland grotendeels Katoliek van aard is en wat ek hier van die radiogesprek weergee geen grondslag vir Anti-Semitisme of Anti-Katolisisme is nie, maar bloot na historiese gebeure verwys.
Gedurende 312 NC het Keiser Konstantyn die RK Kerk tot staatskerk verklaar en is daar in 381 NC ‘n besluit geneem om die Christelike godsdiens tot die enigste wettige geloof gemeenskap in die Romeinse Ryk te aanvaar. Vanselfsprekend het hierdie stappe grootskaalse geweld vir Christene van ander denominasies en vir gelowiges van ander godsdienste ingehou.
En toe volg die Kruistogte vanuit Christen- en Kerkgeledere, veral teen Moslems, so rondom 1200 tot 1300 NC. En na die Reformasie moes talle Protestante deurloop en ook vlug vir hul lewens, byvoorbeeld Gedurende hierdie selfde jare moet mens ook nie die geweldsdade van Ghenghis Kahn, Alexander die Grote en die Romeinse Ryk uit die oog verloor nie.
En dan kan mens nie anders as om die meer resente onderdrukking van Christene en Kerke onder die juk van kommunistiese lande, te onthou nie.
Na afloop van hierdie oorsigtelike blik op die kerkgeskiedenis het die paneellede bietjie dieper gaan delf na die onderliggende betekenis van geweld en wat die opdrag om nie dood te maak nie nou eintlik beteken.
Ek kan nie meer al die besonderhede van die radiogesprek onthou nie, maar die paneellede het wel daarop gewys dat die opdrag om nie dood te maak nie, nie slegs op fisiese moord van toepassing is nie. Geweld lê op ‘n veel dieper vlak van haatdraende gevoelens, wraakgedagtes, geweld praatjies en uiteindelik fisiese optrede. Hier het hulle na vele kerke se minderwaardige beskouing van vroue en hul ondergeskikte plek en rol in gemeentes verwys, die verbod op bedelaars en haweloses om eredienste by te woon, die misbruik en molestering van dogtertjies en seuntjies en die mishandeling van sogenaamde “gevalle” meisies in die Magdaleen Tehuise in Ierland. Wat laasgenoemde betref is die rolprent The Magdalene Sisters die moeite werd om te kyk.
Uiteindelik lyk dit vir my dat almal van ons uitgelewer is aan ‘n gees van geweld wat ‘n psige van vrees teweegbring. As gevolg van hierdie gespanne toestand is ons ter alle tye gereed om te reageer met gewelddadige emosies, denke, woorde en gedrag. En dis waar die hart van geweld vandaan kom.
• In die volgende aflewering kyk ons na die verskillende tipes van geweld en daarna skenk ons aandag aan enkele praktiese voorbeelde in ons land, Mosambiek, die DRK, Soedan, die Midde-Ooste, Rusland/Ukraine en watter konfliksituasie op daardie betrokke stadium aan die orde mag wees.
Sarie van Niekerk
• Wilhelm van Deventer is ’n afgetrede predikant wat sy hele loopbaan lank stedelike, plattelandse en plakkers gemeentes en -gemeenskappe van die VGKSA bedien het. Hy het wel in dogmatiek en etiek gepromoveer, maar
beskou homself nie as ’n akademikus nie, wel as ’n permanente student van die lewe en wêreld, veral ten opsigte van die geskiedenisse, kulture en godsdienste van Afrika, veral hier in Suid-Afrika.
• Wilhelm woon in George en is as vrywilliger by ‘n aantal programme en projekte in diens van swart, bruin, wit en ander behoeftige en noodlydende mense en gemeenskappe betrokke. Hy staan ook nagraadse studente en skrywers by met die ontwikkeling en redigering van hul navorsingsvoorstelle, skripsies, proefskrifte, akademiese en populêre artikels en manuskrifte van voorgenome boeke vir publikasie.
• Hy is sig gestremd en sy visie is tans sowat 0.6%.
Via Dawn Kellerman Stewart
Hierdie handgeskrewe dankie briefie is in November 1985 aan die destydse hoof van die polisie museum op die klein Vrystaatse dorpie Ventersburg, deur die pas aangestelde hoof Petro Grunther Engelbrecht, aan die toe maj (v) Dawn Kellerman geskryf nadat die museumpie die eerste keer deur ‘n inspeksie moes gaan
Dié museum was destyds nog nuut, onbekend en vreeslik klein gewees. Petro het die museum uitgebrei tot ‘n spog plek waarop die polisie geweldig trots was. Sy het egter twee jaar gelede afgetree en die kuratorskap van die museum aan iemand anders oorgedra.
Lt. Col. (Chaplain retired) Charlize le Roux
We stayed in Springs on the East Rand for five years. Our Chaplains’ offices were situated in the middle of the small town of Springs, based in the Nongqai Building on the 2nd Floor. After a few years we were told that our offices would be moving to Germiston. I will never forget, it was a big red brick building, similar colours to all the mine dumps around the East Rand.
Lt.Col. (Chaplain retired)
Charisse le Roux
Although I had moved my office furniture and boxes, I just found it so difficult to settle in. From my new office window, I looked upon the prison cells where the people that were arrested were placed in a holding cell. There would always be a noise coming from there, whether singing in the morning, to shouting, swearing and fighting during the day. A bit further in the distance was the Mortuary building and offices. I could see the mortuary vehicles driving in and out, just wandering, who now, how and what happened! It was so distressful and depressing for me. Beyond the Mortuary offices was the railway line with the shunting of the trains and the noise of the train on the tracks. Looking further beyond in the way distance was the steeped red-mine dumps! It was a choice I had to make every day that I entered my office as to what I wanted to imagine to see through my windows.
I pretended every day to see the beautiful mountains and the sea and especially Table Mountain, in the Western Cape in the background. That put a smile on my face and it was my personal secret. It gave me hope that one day I would be living in the Western Cape with the magnificent mountains around me. I had a longing to be re-connected back to nature as my life was slipping into a very unhealthy imbalance of ‘work and no play’.
One morning before leaving for work, my office which was at the Police Station in Germiston, I felt a ‘tugging’ in my heart, and a little voice saying, ‘Just pray for protection as you drive to your office.’ I said, ‘Lord, but I have already prayed.’ The persistence of His voice, ‘just continue to pray’, is what I continued to hear. I sat down on my bed and prayed. I asked the Lord for His protection upon myself and my car, to send His angels to go ahead of me and make the crooked paths straight. I kept on praising and thanking the Lord. I felt His peace and calmness.
It was a misty morning and the fog was heavy. It was a fairly straight road on the N7 Germiston highway. I was driving very cautious and observing the traffic, as all I could see in front of me was the dim lights of the back of the vehicle driving. I can remember vividly; it was almost bumper to bumper by the speed we were travelling. It felt like hours that morning as if the road would never come to an end. All of a sudden, I looked into the review mirror and a flash of lights come at a speed of lightning. It happened so quick with not a moment to be able to do anything.
I can only think that the person behind the steering was driving too fast and realised if he didn’t swerve to the right behind me, there would have been a major pile-up and injuries. I saw through my right-hand side window, as if it was an array of lights turning through the air a few times before landing on the grass in the middle of the island between the highways. It then dawned on me that perhaps if I did not heed the voice of the Lord and pray before I left for work, I could have been fatal. I still do not know today how badly injured or even if the person is still alive, but what I do know is that God’s hand of protection was upon me.
From our home, I would have to travel onto the N7 Highway through two toll gates and then take the fly-over into Germiston. This was about 37kms to travel every morning. I can clearly remember, so many times on that road, many accidents that I saw due to heavy thick mist that one could not even see the vehicle’s lights shining in front of you. It was actually so stressful to drive on such days as if anyone put on their car breaks to close to the car in front or behind, would result in a high way pile up. There was no other road one could take, and the roads could be blocked for hours, delaying everyone from getting to the work.
At the time I was staying in Paarl, it was a late Sunday afternoon at about 16:20 when I received a call whilst on Debriefing Standby. A Brigadier from the Special Operation Neptune, Cape Town phoned to say that one of his police officers’ shot himself in the police vehicle that they were working in while parked outside Gansbaai Police Station. These police officers were despatched on ‘special duties’ to patrol in the coastal area due to the stealing of ‘Perlemoen’ which is a serious crime.
While parked outside the police station, one police member had to remain in the vehicle as there were firearms. The rest of the platoon went into the police station where they needed to follow up on any cases that were reported regarding the work they were doing. One of the police officers walked back to the vehicle. As he opened the door, he noticed that his colleague had shot himself in the head. The firearm was still in his hand. He turned around to call his colleagues, as they too were on the way to the vehicle. They were numbed and shocked and thought at first it was a joke until they walked closer and could see for themselves. I was told that the police officer that had shot himself was taken to Hermanus Medi-Clinic where he lay in the Intensive Care Ward. I packed my ‘work diary’ in my bag, got into my Citi-Golf and drove off towards Gansbaai Police Station. From my home in Paarl to Gansbaai takes almost three and a half hours. I had time to think of what I could expect as I learned always to prepare
for the ‘worst’. I prayed and asked the Lord to give me the strength and wisdom, to lead and guide me to say the correct things. There is no ‘copy and paste’ when you get to a scene, as every person reacts differently and no story is ever the same.
I arrived early that evening, as I was met by the Station Commander who led me down the narrow passage into a small room where the police members had gathered in shock and disarray. It was packed like ‘sardines’ in a tin. One could cut the atmosphere of total unbelief and sorrow!
On 18 July every year, we celebrated Nelsen Mandela International Day by making a difference in our communities. There is an African village/community on the outskirts of Paarl. We visited a primary school where we handed out food parcels. We then spent time talking to the villagers where I met this wonderful farm worker. Everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better!
(In recent years, there has been much focus on the effects of traumatic events on individuals. Often, people have dramatic reactions to these extraordinary events that may leave them feeling overwhelmed and upset. When a significant crisis occurs, the individuals involved may benefit from an opportunity to talk about the experience as a
group. For that reason, ‘trauma debriefings’ have been promoted as a method to help healing and resolution.
Debriefing is a meeting with one or more individuals who were exposed to trauma. The purpose is to review the impact of the trauma on these individuals and to help them to ventilate their feelings in a safe environment
People who talk through an incident eat better, sleep better, remain healthier, and stay on the job longer. Also, they have less disruption in their home life; the main task is to get people back on the job as quickly as possible and to allow them to be healthier and more satisfied with their lives.)
I remember so clearly that day as I sit and recollect this story, the tenseness that I actually feel going through my body at this moment. While trying to pick up the pieces within the police officers sitting shoulder to shoulder. Unanswered questions, feelings of guilt, anger, sadness, shock and numbness, Police officers with tears running down their cheeks! I tried to extract the feelings and emotions of what was going through their mind to get them to talk. Talking is healing and when one starts to tell their story, the pieces start to fall in place and so one picks up a golden thread. Hope arises and the healing begins.
The colleagues that worked with him and even those that sat next to him in the vehicle, shared with us that they never noticed or picked up anything strange in their conversations. The police officer that shot himself was xhosa speaking and had also been transferred from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town, one finds it sometimes difficult to communicate when the rest of the platoon colleagues speaks their home language which in the Western Cape is Afrikaans. No matter what or who, it is the ‘thin blue line’, the calling that is drawn to them and the blue badge that bonds them together. To protect and serve.
After a gruelling and traumatic two and a half hour debriefing session with the police members, I then knew I had to travel to Hermanus Medi-Clinic Hospital to visit their colleague. Something dropped in my spirit, I told all his platoon colleagues that was on shift with him to also head for the Medi-Clinic Hospital so we could go and pray for their colleague.
The Lord gave me a clear instruction, to get his platoon together and take them with me into the Intensive Care Unit where their colleague lay. They were to talk to him with words of hope, comfort and healing. It is not something as a Chaplain would do in these circumstances with all respect.
We celebrated Women’s Day, 9th August. Bertus standing in the middle is a civilian from the Paarl Police Station who is also blind. He was one our guests who sang and played the guitar for the ladies.
We managed to all shuffle into the waiting room of the hospital, this time their Unit Commander of Operation Neptune, Cape Town was also present. The nursing staff treated us like royalty, with sandwiches and tea. In this time, I managed to speak with the doctor who was treating the police officer lying in Intensive Care. I was told that he was ‘brain dead’ and unfortunately there was nothing else they could do for him, for it was only a matter of days before they would have to remove the life support machines. I try to reason in my brain, I understand the clinical terms that he was on an artificial life support machine where his brain was no longer functioning, means that he will not regain consciousness or be able to breathe without support! A person who is brain dead is legally confirmed as dead. Brain death occurs when a person has an irreversible, catastrophic brain injury.
I walked ahead and lead the way as all walked in single file and silence towards the Intensive Unit Ward to where their colleague was. As I got to the door I turned around and said to them, ‘Even if he has been declared brain dead, he is still with us, so do not tip toe around the bedside. Jesus has conquered death, there isnothing impossible for the Lord to do, let us talk to him and tell him how special he is, do not be afraid.’
We entered into the room and stood around his bedside as I allowed each one of his colleagues to have their turn to talk with him. It was such an unexplainable moment as if there was a shift in the atmosphere of ‘intrinsic hope’. The peace, the comfort and joy broke forth for each one of us. We held hands, prayed in unity and declared life healing and God’s miracle over this colleague. The Holy Spirit was so tangible that noone wanted to move, there was silence yet such peace. Only God knows what took place in those moments as this was not a normal visit under these circumstances. I never doubted for one moment in the way the Lord led me to do this.
I left the Medi-Clinic Hospital and headed for home which was still two and a half hours away, it was now after midnight! I knew that the Lord had such a divine appointment with each one of us around the bedside, a ‘heavenly moment.’
We read in the book of Proverbs, chapter 18 verse 20 (NIV), ‘The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.’ There is so much power
in the words we speak. When used properly the tongue can mend fences, heal broken hearts and encourage those who are in need of encouragement. God’s Word will accomplish His desires and purposes. When we speak the Word of God, we are tapping into limitless power!
Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Speak His words, speak the Scriptures, because the word of God is life, Hebrew 4:12 affirms this:
“The word of God is living and active.” God’s words bring hope and life, as did Jesus’ spoken words to dead Lazarus.
I arrived at my home in Paarl at 03:15. At 06:00 that morning I received a message from the Unit Commander, Provincial Office, Cape Town, to thank me in the way I supported and comforted his platoon members at the hospital. More than that, the message read, ‘I spoke to the doctor this morning and he told me that there was movement in the legs of the officer that was shot, and life was coming back to his body’. ‘Oh Lord, you are so faithful’, as I wept with joy and delight. I received a letter of gratitude and appreciation from the Provincial Office, Cape Town.
I continued to visit him at the hospital and pray for total healing. A few days later he was transferred from Hermanus Medi-Clinic to Somerset West Medi-Clinic. I continued to support and encourage him. It was only a few days later that this officer that was declared ‘brain dead’, was discharged and walked out of the hospital. The Lord had totally healed him not just physically, but I was able to lead him to Christ as he received eternal life. This story makes every second of the day all worthwhile.
As Chaplains, Spiritual Services, we have a monthly meeting hosted and arranged by one of the Chaplains from their areas on a monthly basis. This specific month the Chaplains’ Meeting would be held in Soweto, which is an urban settlement, southwest of Johannesburg. Soweto is still a city of extremes from impoverished informal shantytowns and poor street vendors to exclusive residential suburbs.
I had to drive from Springs from where I was staying to Johannesburg Provincial Building to pick up the Secretary of the Chaplains that morning. I was driving in a police vehicle, a white Mazda which was an unmarked police vehicle. Our meetings would start at 08:30. I had to leave extra early in the morning to be able to get through the busy traffic to make it on time for the meeting.
The Secretary was picked up and we headed onto the Golden Highway and into Soweto. It would take about 26 km to get to our destination. Coming in from the Highway to the main road of Soweto we came to a set of robots. It was a double highway. The robots were red and in front of me was a Taxi. I looked into my revue mirror where more taxis came from behind and stopped and surrounded me. These people got out of their taxis and started to bang on our vehicle sounding like ‘beating drums’.
By this time, I could not see in front of me whether the robots had turned green yet as I was being distracted by these people. All I can remember was telling the secretary to wind up her window and that she needs to hold on as I felt afraid and that we had to get away of what was happening as they surrounded the vehicle. I took one more look in the revue mirror and saw someone splattering what look like a petrol can with petrol in it on the back of the car. I looked ahead and asked the Lord to make a way to get us through these taxis and that He would clear the way as I had to make a right turn onto oncoming traffic.
I remember saying, ‘Hold on, here we go.’ There was a gap in front of me as I put my foot on the petrol and made a U-turn onto the oncoming traffic. I just drove, it was a most frightening experience. We managed to drive back to our offices and reported what had happened on our way to the Chaplains Meeting in Soweto.
In those years it was not that safe, that is the 1980 and 1990’s, when Soweto it was an exclusively black township, a communal place fighting a common enemy –apartheid. The enemy was white. There were many protests and clashes and people being killed by the police.
They knew what unmarked police vehicles looked like, and perhaps we could have been another target that day. I just thank the Lord for His protection around us.
I was attending a Chaplains’ Meeting in Vereeniging one day, in which all the Chaplains from the Province of Gauteng came together for a monthly meeting.
A call had come through from the Springs Station Commander requesting a ‘woman Chaplain’ with regards to a male that had been arrested for murdering his mother. I had a ‘Chaplains’ Assistant’ who worked with me. We were excused from the meeting and headed back to Springs Police Station to where this man had been held in the waiting police cells. He was taken out of his cell, and we met in a more practical area in which the police officers could still keep an eye on him.
This photo was taken at Paarl College, where the Senior Police Officers stayed. It was the evening of their Banquet. Being one the facilitators of their 8 week course, (Executive Development Learning Program), we had to attend. He was one of the graduates.
My mind only wandered so far as to why he requested a woman Chaplain to speak to. I was aware at all times whilst listening to him.
He started to explain and tell us the whole story according to him, where he had become a drug addict living in Durban and often got into trouble with the ‘Law’ and at the same time his wife divorced him.
He decided to move to Springs and stay with his mother. I found out that he was actually staying a few streets away from where we stayed in Selcourt. Things got from bad to worse, where he needed more drugs to keep his addiction going. He started to silently sell his mothers’ possessions from the house. There were many quarrels between his mother and son and started to get aggressive.
One morning he decided to sell his mothers’ lawnmower, and as he was loading it into the back of his cars’ boot, his mother arrived home. His mother was shocked and harsh words were spoken. His mother did not approve of what he was doing and he then pushed his frail mother and she fell and hit her head on the garage cement floor. He bent down to pick her up but she was already dead, so he placed her sitting up in the back of his car boot. He spent two days in the garage talking to her.
He planned to drive just on the outskirts of Springs where there are a few sand mine dumps. He thought of burying her in a sand heap and in so doing set the car alight, so as to look like an accident. He then hid for a month, but was later arrested by the Police for the murder of his mother.
The story that I was listening to was horrifying beyond what one could imagine. I tried to keep my pose as much as possible. During this time whilst listening to this man I was conscious as to really why he wanted to tell us ‘his story’. I felt it was time to ask him the question as to what the real motive was for us to be there.
I decided to be bold and quite frank, and said to him, ‘If I gave you the keys to the cell door or drugs, which would you choose?’ He answered and said, ‘Drugs!’. He actually stated that his plan was to overpower us and take our handbags, which hopefully had money in it and escape. I had a feeling all along there was more than that.
God knows all things and will expose a lie for the truth. I truly believe that we carried the presence of the Lord in and he was unable to escape but felt that he needed to tell
the truth. I led him to true repentance to ask the Lord Jesus Christ into his life and ask for forgiveness for what he had done in his life.
Another one of God’s interventions and testimony of His goodness.
What are you doing here; they will shoot you!
I was in my office in Springs, when I received a call from the Unit Commander of Tsakane, East Rand who told me that one of his Detective police officers had been shot and died by a suspect in his office at the Tsakane Police Station.
This Detective was apparently taking a statement from the accused suspect in a case who had to travel from Pretoria that morning. Whilst the Detective was taking his statement, the ‘suspect’ took out a firearm from the inside of his jacket, held it at point blank range and shot in over the table from where he was sitting. The ‘suspect’ shot the policeman twice before turning the gun on himself. The suspect died instantly.
There was no time and little chance to try and get through to a nearby police station and as for vehicle protection. I immediately responded and left for Tsakane Police Station in a white unmarked Mazda police vehicle.
On arrival at the police station the scene was already cordoned off and people from the community were already starting to gather around the crime scene. The Detectives’ Offices were separate from the Police Station, which were built at the back of the Police Station. Tsakane Police Station which was built on ‘open fields’, with no fencing wall around it. It really needed upgrading.
Tsakane is a township about 17kms from Springs where I was stationed in the East Rand. During my time of working in the East Rand this area of ‘Tsakane’ was called a, ‘red light area’, according to the murders and shootings in the area. It was told to me that it was not safe to travel into Tsakane township without police protection.
While I was on the scene of the crime, I had to speak with the relevant people to obtain all the information I needed to contact the family. On finding out, I was told that the
detective who was shot dead, his wife was travelling by train from Durban back to her home in the East Rand that day. It would still take at least an hour before she arrived at Germiston train station.
As news travels fast, unfortunately someone phoned and told her that her husband had been shot and died on duty. How untactful and cold! I wandered what went through her mind, was there someone on the train that could comfort her? All these questions running through my mind!
I wandered if the police officers’ body and the suspect would be still on the scene where he they had been shot when his wife arrived or would the mortuary vehicle be in time to remove the bodies away. Although the crime scene was closed off with police tape, the Photography Unit, the Forensic Unit, etc, the work still had to be done and completed before the body could be removed and this takes time.
A person’s emotions and mind play havoc, your mind goes into shock, you try and reason. The wife would ask the question, ‘Can it be my husband, are they sure, there must be a mistake?’ The thought of that she had spoken to her husband a few hours before she was going to see him, all was fine. She would have to see for herself. Shock and denial and unbelief start to set in.
In the distance I could see that more cars were arriving at the scene, as I wandered, if one of them could be the wife. I then saw the Unit Commander of Tsakane walk towards the car helped and comforted a lady out the vehicle and then walked in my direction. My heart started pounding. I then started to walk towards them, I was introduced as to the wife of the deceased. I held and comforted her.
At that time the TV Media, Sowetan Newspaper Journalists, and other people were streaming in from all over to get coverage for the local news. We were now surrounded by quite a large group of people. A few metres away from me came an ‘african woman with beads around her head, and ankles.’ She had traditional clothing on, and I noticed her throwing what seemed like old bones, stones and sticks on the ground. I was told that she was the mother of the suspect that turned the gun on himself. I was told that
she was a ‘Songoma’ (a witch doctor) and believed she had the powers to remove any evil from what happened and that it would not come into her house.
While still with the wife, one of the Social Workers that I know from our Germiston office of the SAPS, told me that I should not be there, as I was a white woman and that they will shoot me. As I said earlier on, it was a ‘red zone area’ meaning ‘not safe to drive through the village or to drive alone.’
I mean, this is what I was called to do. The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORDS’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
(Isaiah 61:1-3)
This was an attendance of a Certificate Ceremony. Paarl College Management had to be seated in front as the Ceremony took place. I sat next to Col. Mbulawa, the Training Manager.
I knew that was the place I had to be and that the Lord would protect me. This was only the beginning of a long process of paper war that had to reach our Head Office in Pretoria the following morning by 08:00 with all the particulars of the incident. The following morning Debriefing sessions had to be arranged for the police officers that worked on the scene. There was an application for a ‘Semi-Military funeral’ and a Memorial Service needed to be arranged for the police officers and community combined.
The following day a Memorial Service was held at the Community Hall alongside the Tsakane Police Station, there were many different speakers involved, including Union Representatives, Church Representatives, a Colleague Representative, the Unit Commander from Tsakane and also the Provincial Commissioner besides others. All dignitaries were seated on the stage, that included me and our Youth Worker. The hall was packed to capacity. The Memorial Service started while the speakers began to talk one by one. All of a sudden, a short man ran onto the stage. The stage was quite high from where the people were seated below. He was dressed in ‘animal skin’ holding a stick in his hand which also had some sort of animal’s tail hair on. From my own perception and knowledge, it looked like some of sort of ‘Songoma’ which is the Zulu word, as he performed some sort of a ritual and dance. This went on for a few minutes in a language I could not understand.
My mouth was gaping I had never experienced or seen what happened in front of my eyes. All of a sudden, this man jumped off the stage and down onto the floor where the people were seated, ran up the isle and disappeared with a puff of smoke. I leaned over to the Youth Worker and asked her if she had seen what he had done. She was just as shocked and taken back. I will never forget what I saw for the rest of my life.
To start to explain what had taken place and even in detail to anyone was not going to be easy. This type of ‘thing’ sticks in your subconscious drawer, and if there is a
trigger, this specific incident flashes and comes to mind in detail. You can replay, rewind this story, the ‘unexplainable stuff that happened that day’.
I received an e-mail from the Alberton Station Commander, East Rand requesting the Chaplain to visit one of his members who was sick in hospital. Her sickness or condition was not mentioned in the e-mail. The only facts that I knew, was her name, station, hospital and ward no. She had been admitted to the the Medi-Clinic in Springs.
I arrived at the Medi-Clinic and walked towards her Ward. When I walked in, I recognised one of the Police Social Workers’ that worked in our area, standing there next to her bedside.
The police officer that was sick, lay with the sheet over her head. I was told that there was nothing more anyone could do.
I stood there for a mere moment, as if I was in my own bubble. I knew that she needed Gods’ peace and comfort. I said to the Social Worker, ‘Yes, there is definitely the most important thing of all, I need is to pray for her.’
I knelt down next to the bed; I took her frail hand that what seen from under the sheet and told her who I was and that I was going to pray for her.
I uttered these words, ‘Father, let this precious police officer feel your love you have for her. Let her know your peace and feel comforted at this very moment.’ I prayed that she would open up her heart and receive Gods’ forgiveness and receive eternal life. When I said, Amen, she took off the sheet from her face and tears were streaming down from her cheeks. She thanked me so much for the prayer that I prayed and that she prayed the prayer of faith over her life that God would forgive her. I stayed a little longer and then left. I just thanked the Lord that I listened to His voice, with peace in my heart, I drove back to my office.
Later that evening I received a call from the Medi-Clinic hospital and was told by the nursing Sister that the police officer that I had visited in the afternoon had passed away peacefully.
‘Is my wife still alive?’
As a Chaplain, when I eventually put my head down on the pillow in the evening, after a long days’ work, I prayed and hoped that I could sleep through the night without any call outs, but that is not how it works out most of the time. I have to be ready and alert at any time for any situation that arises. My diary and pen are always next to my bed in case the phone rings and I have to take down all the necessary information, time, place, names and what exactly happened, these are most important details that I needed for my work. A set of clothing and shoes, my logbook for the vehicle, ready to take with. After reading my Bible and thanking God for the day, I switch my lamp light off and closed my eyes so that I could go to sleep.
A Police Chaplains’ work is very stressful especially with the work that we deal with which mainly consists of traumatic incidents. Whether it be attending a suicide scene, a shooting of a police officer, death or injury, a vehicle accident where police officers were involved, a murder scene, and the most horrific of lists can go on. This is exactly where my calling finds me. The Lord gives one the supernatural strength, wisdom and guidance. He sends His angels to protect and minister to me. The Holy Spirit would often give me a vision beforehand, normally about three days before it would actually play out. I could feel the Lords’ supernatural strength and power carrying me during those times, it would be so comforting.
That is a police officer, whom I had to visit. As a Chaplain we have to do Hospital visitation.
In Joshua Chapter 1:9 it reads; ‘Be bold, be strong for the Lord your God is with you.’ These words ignited my spirit as I felt His power and protection wherever I had to be and even when I had to travel to faraway places. I was the first woman Chaplain in the Gauteng Province and felt so favoured and blessed that God had chosen me for this great task.
In the distance I could hear my cell phone ringing, as it got louder and louder, and was now wide awake. I tuned over, looked at my watch, it was 02:00 in the morning. I answered my cell phone. It was the duty officer of Springs Police Station. A police officer who worked at the police station had been arrested and was in the holding cell for shooting his wife. He requested to speak to the Chaplain on duty. Duty calls, irrelevant of the time.
From my warm, cosy, comfortable bed, I quietly climbed out, got dressed and into the vehicle from my home and headed towards the Springs Police Station. Whilst driving to a trauma crisis, or whatever situation I find myself in, I try to prepare my mind, thoughts, words, emotions and behaviour which is so important. Well, this time I had to ask myself, as to how I was going to react, I mean a police officer who shot his wife! So many emotions ran through my mind. I felt angry immediately, but knew I had to replace that emotion with a more comforting and loving emotion for me to be able to feel for him and to be able to listen and understand him. He asked for me to help him.
On the arrival I walked into the Charge Office of the Police Station and met with the Duty Officer who informed me of the background to what happened. I was escorted to the prison cell where the police officer was in. It is becoming like real movie playing in front of me. I remember that early hours of the morning, it was full moon, and I could see the large ‘clangy’ cell keys open the cell gates where I saw the police officer seated on a cement bench with his head in his hands. I walked towards where he was sitting. I greeted the police officer and could immediately smell liquor on him. I put my hand on his shoulder and asked him how he was feeling, then sat down beside him. The
cement bench was ice-cold. This is where I would be spending for the next hour or two.
I began to let him speak. While writing this, I can actually remember how numb as the cold cement creeped into my body. I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible! I thought to myself, ‘what could have been so bad that he pulled his 9mm pistol trigger and shoot his wife and it was in front of his children!’
Immediately the verse popped up in my mind Matthew 25:36,40, ‘I was I prison and you came to visit me…I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ We read that Jesus identifies strongly with the weak, the helpless, and the outcast. He considers the way we treat them to be the way we treat Him. The Lord wants us to identify with them as well, putting ourselves in their shoes and caring for them.
If I had to make any difference and to show God’s love and mercy, I had to change my attitude what was ever of the flesh and have the attitude of the mind of Christ.
He started telling me his story. He had been going through a lot of stress during the las few months. He told me that he was working one night shift and it had been raining very hard. A car that was coming from the front of their vehicle hit into their vehicle. His colleague died in the accident. He found it very difficult to come to terms with losing his best colleague and put the blame on himself.
The following week they attended a call to a ‘heist hijacking in progress’ where there was exchanged firing and the vehicles’ windscreen was totally shattered. The next day after they completed their shift, he and his colleagues decided to have a few drinks together. He got home very late that night and his wife was very angry and started arguing with him. He promised his wife that he wouldn’t drink again and won’t come home late either.
A month later went by, when one morning whilst on duty, he received a radio call that a robbery, smash and grab was taking place at the Springs Mall. While on the scene,
one of his colleagues was shot and injured. After work that day he and his friends decided to have a braai and also a beer. Unfortunately, it did not end there, and he continued drinking further. He arrived home the early hours of the morning. His wife was waiting for him and was furious as she started shouting and accusing him falsely. He begged her to let him go and sleep so they could sort things out later that day.
He then told me, that he and his colleagues were not coping with all the bad incidents, the trauma of losing a colleague, the arguments at his home. It was all getting too much for him. He said that he didn’t know which way to turn and felt that he was losing control of his own and his family.
His relationship with his wife became worse and at that stage they were hardly speaking to each other. He found himself spending money on unnecessary things and there would not be enough money for school fees for their children. His wife kept on accusing him of an affair, and so the conflict in their house parted them even further.
Well, it was after the last shift which had ended at 14:00, his colleagues that worked with him decided to have a braai (this was the normal thing to do after their last shift before going on their rest days) and one drink only before he left to go home to his family. He shared with his colleagues that he promised his wife he would not come home drunk again. Time passed by and decided to stay on for one more drink then he would be going home. After the first drink he already felt so guilty, he knew he had over stepped his mark, had one drink too many, so he thought to himself what was the use of stopping then. He continued drinking and being with colleagues. As usual, he arrived home late and once again, his wife was waiting for him. She immediately began to shout at him, ‘You promised I will never trust you again, and who have you been with, and you even smell of perfume?’ The children came out of their rooms and looked down the passage, that is what I can remember, he told me. My wife after not being happy, with what I told her, continued to dare me to shoot her. She said, ‘you are a policeman, you can shoot, I dare you, shoot me, just shoot me, come on!’. My wife continued and would not stop. I thought I was losing my mind, as all I wanted to do was to go to sleep, but my wife was fighting with me. I then took my gun cocked it and
fired it in my wife’s direction, I just continued, I just kept on shooting until it stopped when the chamber was empty.
I walked to the bedroom and sat at the end of my bed. Moments later the police officers arrived at our house, arrested me and took me to the same police station that I had completed my last shift at. I found myself sitting on the cold cement and heard the cell door banging and locked behind me.
He raised up his head, looked at me with tears rolling down his cheeks and said, ‘Is my wife still alive, is she ok?’
As I said earlier, I could smell alcohol on him, but by this time, he had sobered up. I mean he had shot his wife seven times.
I asked him through all these traumatic incidents that he had gone through, why he never went to his station commander so that trauma counselling or a debriefing session could be arranged for him. The Station Commander apparently did not want to hear about anyone going off sick, with stress or personal problems, he said that it was not needed at his station, they needed to do their work. If there were such officers reporting with stress, they would be transferred without even thinking.
This was really absurd, people are not robots, they are human being that have needs. They need to be taken care of especially the type of work they are doing and attending such horrific scenes. Debriefing sessions were supposed to be organised within 72 hours of any traumatic incident especially when your colleague passes away. There is an Employee Assistance Programme, there are a team of Psychologists, Social Workers, and Chaplains in the East Rand employed by the S A Police Service exactly for their health and wellness. Perhaps this could have been prevented. Employees Health and Wellness, (EHW) HIV and AIDS Conference, SAPS Head Office, Pretoria.
A testimony of God’s goodness of the flight to Pretoria to attend a Police Conference.
As part of a Chaplains’ work, we are also involved with HIV and AIDS pro-active Wellness programmes. We need to often follow-up on these members and encourage them in their health and well-being.
A Meeting was to be held in Pretoria, where an HIV AIDS Annual Meeting would be held which also included the Psychologists, Social Workers and Chaplains. It was expected from each one of us from the different Provinces to prepare a PowerPoint and present the years feedback, activities, visitations, programmes and statistical figures. I had to fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg where there would be a representative from Pretoria police to collect us from the airport. On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, I was standing in the que for departure to check in my luggage and collect my flight ticket. A thought crossed my mind of how wonderful it would be to have the luxury
to sit and fly in Business Class and just relax with enough space to stretch my legs and be pampered!
Well, as I got to the counter, I asked the Flight Attendant if there would be a possibility if I could sit at a window seat. How I loved to watch through the window as the aeroplane from the runway took off and lifted up into the sky, flying high over the sea and turning over the mountain tops, in your own bubble, it is always so special to me.
‘Unfortunately, lady there are no window seats available.’ ‘God bless you Sir’, I answered, ‘And thank you for checking.’
‘Well lady, with those words of kindness and blessing, I have a seat for you in Business Class, enjoy the flight’, and was handed my Ticket, Business Class! I stretched out my hand towards this Flight Attendant and prayed for him. When I walked away, I saw his radiant smile, with tears running down his cheeks.’ Was this co-incidence or Godincidence?
The Lord knows our every thought and desire, and He wants to bless each one of us. I was overwhelmed with excitement. The Lord is so good!
Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this impossible, but with God all things are possible. (Mathew 19:26)
My luggage was checked in and I walked off with a ticket in my hand written ‘Business Class.’ I must add that I had such a wonderfully blessed flight and the time that I spent in Pretoria was just as special.
Isabel Kruger
Die Ontwikkeling van ‘n eie Suid-Afrikaanse Intelligensie kunde (Veertien)
Henning van Aswegen
Gelyklopend met die Dieter Gerhardt-spioenasie tydperk was dit in 1963 vir die adjunkminister van Justisie, John Vorster, en Hendrik van den Bergh duidelik dat die Veiligheidspolisie met nuwe metodes en tegnieke vorendag moes kom om die Russies-gesteunde ANC/SAKP-bedreiging teen die staat te ondervang. ’n Latere Minister van Polisie, Adriaan Vlok, getuig in 1998 voor die Waarheids- en Versoeningkommissie: “… if the forces of Communism and Marxism since the 1950s were allowed to take over SouthAfrica, our country would be destroyed, impoverished and a backward country with an atheist, Communist ideology as government policy.”
Vorster en Van den Bergh besluit gevolglik om ’n geheime afdeling in die Veiligheidspolisie op die been te bring, wat direk getaak sou word om ondermynende bedrywighede te ondersoek. Van den Bergh begin stilletjies personeel vir sy nuwe afdeling werf. “Ek soek manne,” het Van den Bergh aan genl. Stemmetjie Verster van
sy hoofkantoor gesê, waarop Stemmetjie vir Mike Geldenhuys aanbeveel.
Geldenhuys was voorheen sy stafoffisier in Durban en toe distrikskommandant van Keetmanshoop. Saam met Geldenhuys het Terry Terblanche, Niklaas van Zyl, Koos Kemp, Hendrik Roos, Stan Schutte, Frans Fouché en Hans Brummer die eerste kern personeel van Republikeinse Intelligensie (RI) gevorm. Maj. Terry Terblanche tree op as stafoffisier van RI en skep twee lêerstelsels: een vir teiken organisasies en die ander vir personeellede. Die lêerstelsels word in ’n geheime kantoor op die tweede vloer van Wachthuis in Pretoria bewaar, maar die ontstaan en bestaan van RI word vir ander polisiemag lede geheim gehou. Van die lêers het geheime verslae bevat met die inskripsie “weerhou van VP” onderaan, wat beteken het dat RI nie al sy verslae met die Veiligheidspolisie gedeel het nie.
Op 8 April 1963 gee Poqo, die PAC se gewapende vleuel, opdrag aan sy volgelinge om 1 000 blankes te vermoor. Die SAP-Veiligheids tak gebruik wetgewing tot sy beskikking om talle van die PAC-agitators in hegtenis te neem voordat hulle dié wandaad kon pleeg. Die PAC verander sy politieke oortuiging in die 1960’s van Afrikanistiese beweging na ’n pro-Beijing, Maoïstiese groep wat luidkeëls teen-ANCen teen-SAKP-uitsprake maak, en geld by die Verenigde Nasies bedel. Met die arrestasie van die PAC-leiers en agitators slaag RI hierdie ruwe vuurdoop, maar kom ook dadelik tot die besef dat sy klein personeel voor ’n formidabele en gevaarlike uitdaging staan.
Die grondslag vir RI as geheime afdeling in die Veiligheidstak is deur lt.-kol. Van den Bergh en sy adjudante, maj. A.T. (At) Spengler en maj. Mike Geldenhuys, gelê. “The Tall Man received permission (and funds) to form the Republican Intelligence Service (RIS), a secret branch of the Security Police and the organisation which was later to become the Bureau for State Security.” Uit sy eerste begroting van R1 miljoen het RI ’n groot wit veilige huis vir R36 000 in die Johannesburgse noordelike voorstad Mountain View gekoop vanwaar sy operasionele en tegniese ondersoeke bedryf kon word. Die veilige huis is terstond die “Wit Huis” gedoop (vernoem na die Withuis in Washington) en soms ook deur RI-lede “Klub 13” genoem. Mike Geldenhuys,
voormalige bevelvoerder van die Veiligheidspolisie in die Oos-Kaap, en sy gesin het in die veilige huis gaan woon om ’n skyn van normaliteit daaraan te gee.
Amptelike en nie-amptelike dekking
RI en die Buro vir Staatsveiligheid (BSV) het gebruik gemaak van nie-amptelike dekking deur frontgroepe, frontorganisasies en stutgroepe te stig wat op die oog af normale kommersiële, onderwys-, kulturele, wetenskaplike, politieke of vakbondgroepe was. Die groepe het dus oënskynlik geen kontak of verhoudinge met enige staatsdepartement gehad nie. Nie-amptelike dekkingsmetodes, soms aksiedekking genoem, het ’n valse status of identiteit aan RI- en BSV-lede verleen, wat hulle in staat gestel het om op ’n besondere plek of in ’n spesifieke geselskap te wees, asof dit normaal sou wees in enige daaglikse beroep. Aksiedekking is deur RI en die Buro gerugsteun met vals identiteitsdokumente, paspoorte, munisipale rekeninge, bestuurslisensies, belastingnommers en soms akademiese kwalifikasies. So byvoorbeeld het die Buro en die Nasionale Intelligensiediens (NI) jare lank hul eie reisagentskap in die gebou reg oorkant Sanlam Plaza-Oos in Pretoria bedryf.
Die Kommissaris van Polisie, genl. J.M. (John) Keevy, die Minister van Justisie, adv. John Vorster en genl. Van den Bergh was gereelde besoekers aan die Wit Huis om direk met die RI-lede oor die ernstige bedreiging teen die staat te gesels. Talle sake is vanuit die Wit Huis ondersoek, byvoorbeeld die Loginof-saak (seker een van die mees skouspelagtige sake in ons veiligheidsgeskiedenis) en ook die Bram Fischer- en Kasjinski-gevalle. Kol.Att Spengler het Gerard Ludi, wat die SAKP infiltreer het, as RIlid gewerf en van die Wit Huis af hanteer om die Congress of Democrats (COD) te infiltreer. Soortgelyk aan en vergelykbaar met die South African Indian Congress (SAIC), was die COD die blanke of wit vleuel van die ANC en SAKP, omdat beide tot verbode organisasies verklaar is.
In hierdie konteks kan Ludi as een van die suksesvolste infiltrasie-agente in SuidAfrika se geskiedenis beskou word. Hy vertel:
“I spent many an hour chewing up and swallowing top quality intelligence reports on Moscow, Beijing (then still Peking), Lagos, Dar Es Salaam, Brazzaville, and East Berlin Park benches. I also spent hours burning top quality reports on the roads between
every Marxist third-world capital and the countryside you care to mention. We all were trained to memorise the contents of our reports. I could regurgitate facts and figures from a two-hour speech as if I had tape-recorded them. I expected the same from my agents. We typed our reports in a safe house, transmitted them, and then destroyed them. That is how we survived. And that is why in a 20-year career not a single of the over 200 agents I had trained and handled was ever compromised.”
Die Kommunistiese ideologie was duidelik identifiseerbaar as intelligensie prioriteit en daarom het RI bestryding van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kommunistiese Party (SAKP) en kommunistiese vakbonde as sy hooftaak gesien. Teenspioenasie (die identifisering en ondersoek na spioene) was eweneens ’n RI-prioriteit en daarom is teenspioenasie spesialiste soos Michael Kennedy, Chris Pio en Clive Scholtz vanaf die Veiligheidspolisie na RI oorgeplaas. RI se insamelings profiel in sy beginjare het die SAKP en die COD beskou as die metode waarop Afrika-lande en die internasionale gemeenskap gaan poog om ’n einde aan Suid-Afrika se blanke regering te bring.
Daarby het RI se bedreigings analise aangedui dat kommunisme die vyand van Afrikanernasionalisme en kapitalisme is en dat die SAKP hom beywer vir ’n staatsbestel waarin etniese identiteit deur ’n klaslose proletariaat vervang sou word.
Omdat dit die SAKP se doel was om die wettige staatsbestel en die vrye ondernemingstelsel in Suid-Afrika te vernietig, het RI dit as sy taak en roeping gesien om die persone wat hierdie doktrine aanhang en aandryf, dus lede van die SAKP, se aktiwiteite te neutraliseer.
Ongeveer 200 nuwe RI-lede ontvang in 1963 en 1964 opleiding in Pretoria in onderwerpe soos staatkunde, staatsveiligheid, verslag skrywing en klandestiene kommunikasie metodes, agtervolging en teen agtervolging, om hulle vir ’n nuwe loopbaan en leefwyse voor te berei. Van die RI-manne het “bedank” uit die polisie en hulle voorgedoen as versekeringsagente, poskantoor werkers, motor werktuigkundiges, eiendomsagente en vuurwapenhandelaars. Pieter Swanepoel vertel aan brig. Hennie Heymans dat Mike Geldenhuys die bestuurder van RI was. Swanepoel skryf:
Ons het in korrespondensie en telefoniese kommunikasie na hom verwys as die bestuurder. Ons het almal RS-nommers ontvang. Ek vermoed dat Mike RS 001 was. Die “Lang Man” (generaal H.J. van den Bergh), die oorhoofse baas en skepper van RI, het gevolglik in oorleg met Mike en met die destydse Afdelingskommissaris van die polisie in Windhoek, genl. Theo Crous, ’n ander plan beraam. ’n Vuurwapeneenheid is gestig en ek en Ben Burger is daarheen verplaas. Ons kantoor was oop en bloot bokant die klagtekantoor. Geen sweem van geheimhouding is aan ons geheg nie. Die dag-tot-dag-opdragte betreffende ons werk het van brigadier Crous gekom, maar al ons vertroulike opdragte het van die “bestuurder” in Johannesburg gekom. Elke paar maande het die “bestuurder” ons besoek en al ons verslae is aan hom gepos. Oor al die projekte wat ons daar aangepak het, moes Mike Geldenhuys ’n oog hou. Waar ek en Ben Burger in Windhoek gewerk het, het nuus van wat die manne in ander sentra vermag het, ons net sporadies bereik.
RI was ’n inligtingsorganisasie wat onder diep dekking sy eie metodes ontwikkel het om landsveiligheid te verseker. RI-lid RS 141 skryf dat hy selfs sy ouers moes inlig dat hy uit die polisie bedank het. “Ons identiteite is nooit bekend gemaak nie en ons kon aan niemand die waarheid vertel nie. Ons het polisie motors gehad, maar met vals nommerplate vir operasionele werk.” RI is nooit geïdentifiseer nie. Hulle het selfs nie in howe getuig nie, die ondersoekwerk net tot op ’n punt gedoen en die getuienis dan aan die polisie oorhandig vir optrede. Ten spyte hiervan raak die ANC/SAKP by wyse van Eleanor Anderson en Ronnie Kasrils daarvan bewus dat iets verander het en dat die Veiligheidstak anders te werk gaan betreffende die monitering en hantering van die SAKP en Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) se ondergrondse bedrywighede. “They have formed a crack unit to deal with MK, more efficient than the others, but still relied on basic detection, building systematically from one clue to another, and relying heavily on interrogation. There was no speculation about our strategic aim other than: You people are out to ruin the country so that Russia can take over.”
Van RI en die Wit Huis se personeel was onder andere Joe Bell, Stan Schutte, Dries Verwey, “Scheppes” Schweppsplank, Piet “Poqo” van Wyk, W.A. (Willie) Willers, Jac Buchner, Stan Schutte. In Suidwes-Afrika werk Pieter (Swanie) Swanepoel, M.C.
Swart en Ben Burger as operasionele BSV-lede. In Durban – Johan Coetzee, Basie Smit, Claasie Claasens en Cornelius John Brooks. In Kaapstad – Hennie Botha, Phil Freeman, L.P.E. (Louwtjie) Malan en Michael Morris. In Pretoria – John le Roux, Chris Pio, Kalfie Broodryk en Roelf van Rensburg. So ookTaiwan – R.J.F. Campbell; Londen
– Pieter Swanepoel; Parys – Albie Venter en mev. Van Zyl en Washington – kol. Willie Willers. RI het ’n dekkings kantoor in Soweto gevestig wat deur Joe Bell en Stan Schutte beman is wat daarin geslaag het om verskeie studente-organisasies te infiltreer. Van hierdie studente bronne het later dosente by die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand geword en inligting oor die National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) se bedrywighede aan RI en later die BSV voorsien. RI het ook ’n dekkings kantoor in Luanda, Angola, bedryf en nou met Europese intelligensiedienste in WesAfrika saamgewerk.
RI se intelligensie teikens en insamelings prioriteite fokus op die Liberale Party van Suid-Afrika en sy mees prominente lid, prof. Neville Rubin, die ANC/SAKP/MKalliansie, dieAfro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO),African Resistance Movement (ARM) en die National Liberation Movement (NLM), die Yi Chu Chan Club, COD, die Committee for Human Rights en sy leier Violet Weinbergh, goeie vriend van Bram Fischer, die Organisasie vir Afrika Eenheid (OAE), South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC) en sy protagoniste, Dennis en Wilfred Brutus, asook Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), Southwest African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) en Southwest African National Union (SWANU). Teenintelligensieteikens het frontgroepe ingesluit wat deur die CIA en Britse Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in Afrika gefinansier en gebruik is, soos die AfricanAmerican Institute (AAI) en die publikasies Africa Report, African Forum en die New African Magazine. In ‘n vroeëre publikasie het ek verwys na RI se deeglike monitering van die aktiwiteite van die CIA in Suider-Afrika, veral Zaïre en van die Frontliniestate soos Botswana. “RI and its successor Bureau for State Security (BfSS), fastidiously monitored the activities of the CIA in Central Africa, particularly in the Congo (Zaïre), where the CIA was supporting the political movements of Joseph Mobutu Seso Seko and CyrilAdoula in the conflict that erupted after the colonial power Belgium withdrew from this vast country.”
RI se gebruik van front organisasies (ook front- of skyn groepe genoem) is ’n erkende tegniek wat deur intelligensiedienste gebruik word om doelstellings te verberg en sy kommunistiese opponente te mislei. Die tegniek is nie net tot intelligensiedienste beperk nie en word dikwels deur kriminele, maatskappye, internasionale korporasies en organisasies sowel as onwettige organisasies ingespan om hul werklike aktiwiteite en bedrywighede mee te verdoesel. Front organisasies hou dus die beeld voor dat hulle onafhanklik is, maar hul ware identiteit, motiewe, agendas en doelwitte word geheim gehou. RI se dekkings kantoor in Johannesburg staan bekend as “Brigadiers” en in Durban langs die Wentworth-apteek in Brightonweg as die “Pretoria Agencies”. Johan Coetzee, later Kommissaris van Polisie, is die hoof van die front groep en ry met ’n Mini Minor in Durban rond, allermins ’n polisie motor. Basie Smit, John Brooks en Duifie van den Heever was die ander personeellede. Die voormalige Distrikskommissaris van Durban-Sentraal, Jock (Dipstick) Campbell, is vanaf Durban na die Veiligheids hoofkantoor verplaas en toe na RI, en vandaar na Taipei, Taiwan, gestuur om die Suid-Afrikaanse Konsulaat daar te open. RI se personeel in Durban fokus hul insamelings vermoë op ’n sel bekende kommuniste en hul meelopers, onder andere dr. Graham Meidlinger, Rowly en Jacqueline (Jackie) Arenstein, Eleanor Anderson, Valerie Phillips, Monty Naicker, Vera en George Ponnen, Moses Kotane, Billy Nair, Stephen Dlamini, Ernest Gallo, Curnick Ndlovo en Bruno Mtolo.
RI se gebruik van legendes, vals name, vals identiteite en skyn groepe was nie sonder probleme nie en het somtyds tot komiese situasies gelei. Toe ’n administratiewe beampte by die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand aan ’n dosent vra waarom hy dan ook ’n salaris van die staat ontvang, kon hy beswaarlik erken dat hy ook ’n lid van die Veiligheidstak is. Die dosent, ’n RI-infiltrasie-agent, se inkomstediens nommer het in die rekords van die personeel afdeling van die universiteit beland en daarmee was die jare lange NUSAS-infiltrasie-operasie daarmee heen. Van den Bergh en Geldenhuys het ’n eenvoudige manier gebruik om die inligting wat RI ingesamel het, aan te wend. Hulle het rou, onverwerkte inligtingsverslag net aan premier John Vorster deurgegee, terwyl hulle inligtingsverslag wat deur die normale kanale en bevel sisteem van die Veiligheidstak geproduseer is, aan Vorster, maar ook aan die Minister van Polisie, S.L. (Lourens) Muller, gegee het. Op hierdie manier het die bestaan van RI en sy sensitiewe intelligensie verslae geheim gebly.
Veligheidspolisielid en latere brig. Hennie Heymans skryf dat alle ou verslae van die Veiligheidspolisie en RI by Kompol X302 (dit is Wachthuis, in Schoemanstraat, Pretoria) bymekaar gemaak en bewaar is.
Ek was verbaas om te sien dat sekere polisieverslae van RI (voorloper van die Buro) en “Seksie 4” (die opvolger van RI in die veiligheidspolisie) gewoonlik die endossement: “Weerhou van VP” (VP – Veiligheidspolisie) gedra het. Die ou gesoute speurders en deurwinterde intelligensie manne se verslae was baie interessant en baie goed geformuleer. Die meeste verslae was destyds in die Engelse taal geskryf. Pragtige prosa wat gewoonlik afgesluit is: “I have the honour to be, Sir, your Obedient Servant, Sgt so-and-so.” Dit laat mens ver terugdink – verslae wat nou meer as 100 jaar oud is. En wag! Daar was leggers van die ou Special Branch, Suspect Staff en van die Republikeinse Intelligensiediens (RI of “Er-ie” in die spreektaal) en van MI 5. Daar was ook verslae van PIDE en van die BSAP. Ek was verstom om te sien dat sommige mense soos Tom Andrews, die pa van die kommunis Bill Andrews, reeds vroeg in die 1900’s onder die ongunstige aandag van die owerhede gekom het.
* In DIE BURO: Genl. Lang Hendrik van den Bergh en die Buro vir Staatsveiligheid, wat deur Imprimatur Uitgewers gepubliseer word, is daar ware Suid-Afrikaanse spioenasie verhale wat die waarde van agente en spioene illustreer (HUMINT), en ook die enorme skade wat hulle somtyds aanrig, onder die soeklig plaas. Die enigste werklike meetinstrument van die sukses van ’n spioenasiediens is die mate waarop hy of sy die geskiedenis beïnvloed het, of nie. Die Buro vir Staatsveiligheid het ’n invloed op die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis gehad en verdien om onthou te word. Indien enige van ons lesers oor relevante inligting oor die ontwikkeling van spioenasie in SuidAfrika, beskik, word u hartlik uitgenooi om enige inligting en fotos aan henningvanaswegen55@gmail.com., te stuur.
* Die artikel reeks Intelegere bevat 982 bronverwysings en voetnotas, wat op aanvraag van die skrywer bekom kan word. ‘n Verkorte weergawe van die verhaal van Dieter Felix Gerhardt en Ruth Johr verskyn in die boek Spioen meesters, wat op Amazon verkrygbaar is.
* Word in die volgende Nongqai vervolg.
* Vooraf bestellings vir DIE BURO kan by Imprimatur Uitgewers geplaas word.
Lettie Stander
Motorbotsings op ons baie eis deesdae duisende lewens op ons land se paaie. Ek het die week gaan lig opsteek by Johan Fourie wie se lewenstaak dit is om botsings te gekonstrukteer en sodoende te probeer wat presies die oorsaak van die botsing was en wie die verantwoordelike persoon is.
Johan Fourie van Pretoria is een van hierdie mense wat ure aaneen deesdae voor ‘n rekenaar sit om die oorsaak van ongelukke te ondersoek. Hy gee ook vir ons ‘n paar interessante sake wat deur hom en sy span tot die fynste detail uitgewerk is van wat vermoedelik op die ongelukkige dag gebeur het.
Ek is in Pretoria gebore, het in Kempton Park opgegroei en het by destydse RAU gestudeer, waar ek my vrou, Kathleen, met wie ek 43 jaar getroud is, ontmoet het. Ons het twee seuns en twee kleinkinders met ‘n derde een op pad.
Grusame botsings tonele is deesdae ‘n al te algemene gesig op ons paaie.
Ek het vir ‘n tyd lank skool gehou maar ek vermoed die departement en ek was ewe dankbaar omdat ons paaie geskei het. Daarna het ek in die kantoor van die president gewerk (waarvan ses jaar in die buiteland) waarna ek my eie besigheid begin het. Ek het opleiding gekry in botsings rekonstruksie by die WNNR en daarna ‘n kursus deurloop by die Wingfoot Training Academy van die Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company. In 2007 het ek en my vennoot, Johan Uys, SAFITI gestig en het sedertdien strategiese ooreenkomste aangegaan met ware spesialiste in hulle onderskeie dissiplines, soos forensiese metallurgie, meganiese ingenieurswese, brand ondersoeke, ballistiek, elektriese ingenieurswese, elektroniese botsings data analise.
Ek het gedurende die afgelope dekades ondersoeke gedoen in etlikeAfrika lande soos Algerië, Egipte, Ethiopië, Djiboeti, Togo, Kameroen, Burkina Faso, Liberië Uganda en Swaziland. SAFITI het ook ondersoeke gedoen in Mauritius, ’n Botsings ondersoek kursus aangebied in Egipte, Singapoer en Mauritius. SAFITI het ook aanbiedings gedoen aan Internasionale Konferensies in Lyon, Frankryk, Sun City en Sandton.
SAFITI groei saam met die tegnologie ek het reeds geruime tyd gelede begin om botsings data van voertuie af te lees en maak gebruik van 3D skanderings van voertuie.
Tolla van der Merwe:
In die saak was daar interessante aspekte rakende die ondersoek. My kliënt het met ‘n vragmotor agter in ‘n ander vragmotor vasgery in ‘n baie digte mis op die N4 en toe skuins oor die pad geloop en met Tolla se voertuig gebots wat op daardie stadium deur Ollie Viljoen bestuur is.
Die eienaar van die derde party voertuig wou nie toelaat dat ons die gloeilampe van sy voertuig ondersoek nie alhoewel dit dadelik was dat die gloeilampe nie by die battery krag van die vragmotor gepas het nie en die ligte sou nie deur die mistige weer behoorlike waarskuwing gee van die posisie van die derde party voertuig nie. Die drywer van my kliënt se voertuig het egter te vinnig gery, alhoewel hy met beter waarskuwing van die voertuig voor hom, waarskynlik die botsing kon vermy het.
Getuienis is gelewer dat die vragmotor van my kliënt al vlammende dwars oor die pad gery het tot waar dit tot stilstand gekom het nadat dit met die Mercedes Benz waarin Tolla gery het, gebots het. Ons brand deskundige het egter getuig dat die brand op die vroegste eers 62 sekondes nadat ons kliënt se vragmotor tot stilstand gekom het, gebrand het tot die mate dat die vlamme deur die mis sou sigbaar word.
Die dood van Koos van der Merwe wat ook in die motor was, is aan die botsing toegeskryf, ten spyte daarvan dat mnr. Van der Merwe se internis gesê het dat hy na die botsing as ‘n gesonde man ontslaan is en drie weke later gesterf het aan ‘n virus wat hy in die hospitaal opgedoen het.
Sizwe Mankazana
Sizwe Mankazana is aangekla daarvan dat hy die dood van Nelson Mandela se agterkleindogter sou veroorsaak het deur te vinnig te ry op die oprit na die M1 vanaf die Francois Oberholzer Hoofweg en beheer verloor het oor die motor. Hy is ook van dronkbestuur aangekla.
Nog ‘n voorbeeld van ‘n ongeluk op een van ons land se paaie
Gedurende die hofsaak is getuienis gelei dat die voertuig te vinnig in die draai ingekom het en brandmerke op die pad gelaat het voordat die voertuig teen ‘n skud muur vasgery en beheer verloor het. Die voertuig het na die regterkant van die pad beweeg en in `n gebreekteArmco sperreling vasgery wat dood van die jong meisie in die motor veroorsaak het. Daarna is die voertuig oor die pad geslinger en is oor nog `n Armco sperreling verplaas voordat dit tot rus gekom het.
Gedurende die kruisondervraging van die Staat se getuies het `n paar interessante aspekte na vore gekom. Die beampte wie mnr. Mankazana in hegtenis geneem het, het onder eed getuig dat mnr. Mankazana binne 10 minute nadat die beampte op die toneel aangekom het (wat minder as vyf minute na die botsing was) afgevoer is na die Johannesburg Metro Polisie Diens se kantore, deur ‘n Truvelo apparaat getoets is en bevind is dat mnr. Mankazana onder die invloed van drank was, en gearresteer is. ‘n
Foto wat egter deur `n ander JMPD beampte aangebied is wys mnr. Mankazana by die botsings voertuig staan. Die Meta-data van die foto het gewys dat die foto meer as twee uur na die botsing geneem is. Die beampte kon ook nie ‘n kalibrasie sertifikaat vir die Truvelo voorlê nie en kon ook nie sy notaboek opspoor om aan die hof te vertel hoe hy die saak hanteer het nie.
Ten opsigte van die band merke wat gebruik is om die spoed te bepaal het die volgende na vore gekom:
- Die Staat se deskundige het erken dat hy nie die merke gemeet het nie. Dit is nogal ‘n ingewikkelde proses wat baie akkuraat gedoen moet word en met tradisionele metodes minstens twee persone neem om korrek te doen. Hy het ook ‘n wiskundige operasionele fout gemaak in sy berekenings deur ‘n plus en minus teken om te ruil. Die deskundige kon ook nie verklaar hoe die voertuig met die skud muur gebots het en die merke gemaak het as die band merke verder van die skud muur af gemaak is as wat die neus van die motor lank is nie. Die verskil in afstand was 43 cm.
- In ‘n verdere probleem met die botsing met die skud muur was dat die voertuig se linker voorwiel ‘n skraapmerk gelaat het op die sypaadjie voor die skud muur. Daar was skraapmerke aan die hele omtrek van die flens van die linker voorwiel van die voertuig. Die opponerende deskundige het geargumenteer dat die merk op die sypaadjie te kort was om skade aan die hele omtrek van die voorwiel te veroorsaak. My teenargument was dat alhoewel die lengte van die skade aan die sypaadjie ongeveer 35 cm lank was, die wiel rotasie teen 80 km/h (22,24 m/s), gegewe die omtrek van die wiel, bykans 11 volledige rotasies per sekonde is en dat die wiel slegs ‘n kontak tyd van ongeveer 25 millisekondes nodig gehad het om die hele omtrek te beskadig.
- Die oorsaak van die botsing was ‘n linker agterwiel van die voertuig wat onklaar geraak het en die voertuig in ‘n regsdraai na links getrek het en dit in die skud muur geforseer het. Die band van die voertuig was ‘n tweedehandse band en ‘n ander tipe as op die ander drie punte van die voertuig. Die band se spoed
las indeks was sodanig dat die band teen ‘n maksimum van 300 km/h kon opereer, maar die band mag nie, as gevolg van. die hoë spoed las indeks ‘n tweedehandse band wees nie, en dit mag veral nie van ‘n ander tipe wees as die ander bande nie. SAFITI se bande deskundige het ‘n spyker in die band waargeneem wat deur die Staat se ondersoekers misgekyk is en die skade wat die konstante afloop en oppomp van die band veroorsaak het was opsigtelik maar glad nie deur die Staat se ondersoekers na verwys is nie. Toe die band gevolglik in ‘n regs draai ingaan was die druk op die buitewand van die band net te veel en het die band gefaal en bykans oombliklik pap geword en die voertuig na links getrek. Die Staat het glad nie na die probleme met die band verwys nie en het dit nie as oorsaaklik beskou nie.
- Buiten al die kleiner dramas was die Staat se saak so swak beplan en aangebied dat die landdros in die saak onmiddellik, op versoek van die verdediging se advokaat ‘n Artikel 174 ontslag toegestaan het sonder om dit verder te oorweeg omdat die staat nie daarin geslaag het om hulle saak te bewys nie.
‘n Bloedige Komedie.
Gedurende ‘n hofsaak in Kimberley het ‘n komiese aspek in ‘n andersins bloedige saak na vore gekom. ‘n Vragmotor bestuurder wat volgens getuienis langer as 19 uur konstant op die pad was het oor die pad geswaai en ‘n bakkie van voor af getref en dit saamgesleep vir 65 meter tot by die petrolpompe van ‘n vulstasie buite die stad. Nadat almal begin het om die oorledenes te bedek het ‘n boemelaar van onder die vragmotor uitgekom en vervaard gevra vir koffie.
‘n Rekonstruksie word deur ‘n botsings ondersoeker gemaak om te help met die ondersoek na die oorsaak van voertuig ongelukke
Dit het geblyk dat hy die vorige nag langs die pad gestap het en in sy besopenheid op sy gesig geval het in ‘n voortjie langs die pad en net daar aan die slaap geraak het. Hy het een van die weermag se ou groen jasse aangehad wat met die val toe ‘n punt gemaak het oor die boemelaar se rug. Met die impak tussen die twee voertuie het die diesel tenk van die vragmotor afgebreek. Een van die metaal arms wat die tenk bevestig het, het die boemelaar in die vou van die jas opgeskep en vir 63 meter saam gedra tot by die vragmotor se rusposisie. ‘n Video van die aspek van die insident is in die hof voorgespeel.
Ondersoek Proses
‘n Rekonstruksie van ‘n botsing stel vereistes aan ‘n ondersoeker wat een persoon alleen nie kan regkry nie. Dit is multidissiplinêr en vereis dikwels kundigheid in verskeie dissiplines. Kortom, ‘n ondersoeker behoort oorwegend drie aspekte in ag te neem. Die voertuie betrokke, die oppervlakte waarop gery is en die verklarings en uitlatings van mense betrokke by die botsing. Elkeen van die aspekte behels ‘n groot
groep sub-dissiplines. ‘n Motor ondersoek behels dikwels aspekte van meganiese ingenieurswese, motor elektriese ondersoeke, botsings data, bande analises, rem en suspensie stelsels se werking en funksionaliteit.
Wanneer ‘n mens by die analises van die mense in ‘n botsing kom word die probleme net meer. Kwessies van waarneming, oog toestand van drywers, persepsie / reaksie tye, akkuraatheid van geheue, eerlikheid, waarnemings en taalgebruik en uitdrukkingsvermoë wat daarmee gepaard gaan is alles individueel tot elke persoon betrokke. Die probleme word erger wanneer ‘n regsbeampte met al die persoonlike aspekte moet oordeel oor die werk van spesialiste wat hy nie noodwendig verstaan nie.
Wanneer dit by die oppervlakte kom waarop die voertuie beweeg het is die groot probleem om die heersende omstandighede ten tye van die botsing vas te stel en akkuraat weer te gee. Dit is veral ‘n probleem ten opsigte van die hoeveelheid water op die pad of hoe dig mis op die pad was ten tye van ‘n botsing. Die water is belangrik omdat bande van middelslag tot groot passasiers voertuie tussen 25 en 35 liter water per sekonde kan verplaas, afhangende van die toestand van die bande en hoeveel water op die pad is. Wat vlietende inligting soos die digtheid van mis betref is dit net akkuraat te bepaal indien iemand op die toneel ‘n vaste punt gebruik het om die maksimum sigafstand te meet.
Brandmerke op die oppervlakte moet nie net akkuraat gemeet word nie, maar moet ook akkuraat beoordeel word om die voertuig dinamika te bepaal. Verskillende band merke word ook verskillend gemeet en sommige merke soos spore in reënwater hou net vir ‘n paar sekondes.
Sarie van Niekerk
Dit is mos altyd lekker as ‘n nuwe mensie die wêreld inkom.
Hierdie maand wil ek graag aan afgetrede lt.kol. Jane Adrian’s Minnie en haar man lt.kol Johan Minnie, gelukwens met die geboorte van hulle nuwe kleinseun Alec
James. Mag hy vir julle baie vreugde verskaf. Baie geluk ook aan die ouers Arno en Belinda Minnie.
Dames, ek is regtig dringend op soek na iemand wat bereid is om nou saam met my in te val en te help met die Nongqai. Om persoonlike redes wil ek (DV) einde Mei volgende jaar die laaste Nongqai onder my naam uitgee. As een of meer van julle bereid is om te help sal ek julle van nou af net bietjie inbring in alles wat en hoe ons Nongqai aanpak. Dan kan die nuwe spannetjie daarna aangaan met Nongqai. Ek sal nog help waar ek kan maar ek wil regtig onttrek van die Nongqai af. As daar nie een of meer dames na vore kom om die Nongqai oor te neem nie. Sal die MEI 2025 ongelukkig die laaste van die Nongqai Vroue wees.
DIE BURO HENNING VAN ASWEGEN
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Resensie van Tee vir jou?, deur Anschen Conradie
Kortverhale is altyd ‘n wenner tydens daardie net-‘n-paar-minute-beskikbaar-om-telees stadiums. Dikwels wagtend vir iets: die ketel om te kook, die kinders om uit die skool te kom, die rekenaar om sy ratte reg te skud, die lang ry by die staatsdepartement, ensovoorts. Maar ‘n bundel kan gou vervelig word as daar nie afwisseling is nie, veral as al die bydraes deur dieselfde skrywer is. Hierdie bundel trap egter glad nie in daardie slaggat nie; die gekose ruimte waarin die 29 kortverhale afspeel is weliswaar hoofsaaklik in en rondom Kaapstad, maar die temas en genres is heerlik uiteenlopend.
Die dubbelsinnigheid van die titel ‘rescue dog’ word ondersoek aan die hand van ‘n hond genaamd Charlie en herinner aan Nouwen se ‘The wounded healer’-konsep; verskeie sosiale kwessies, soos aborsies, hawelose, orgaanskenkings, botoks, en kanker, word in fiksie formaat aangespreek, en daar is selfs ‘n paar naelbyters ingesluit. In ‘Afdraai’is die protagonis op reis op ‘n verlate pad sonder selfoon opvangs wanneer sy besef dat haar brandstof te min is en dat sy agtervolg word. Daar is ook ‘n spookhuis; ‘n persoon in ‘n getuiebeskermingsprogram met moordenaars op haar spoor; ‘n ma wat haar seun se lyk met ‘n sambok slaan toe sy uitvind dat hy ‘n dief was, en die intieme liefdesverhaal van ‘n meermin.
Die UFO-vergaderings was vermaaklik. Die byeenkomste het niks met vlieënde voorwerpe te doen nie, wel met onvoltooide projekte (unfinished objects). Een verhaal sentreer aangrypend rondom Jenny Joseph se ‘Warning’ (‘When I am an old woman I shall wear purple…’) en ‘n tweeluik, ‘Aanbly of afsit?’ en ‘Die laaste wit koppie’ hanteer die temas van veroudering, afhanklikheid, en verlies aan waardigheid met deernis en empatie.
Sommige bydraes het voorheen op ander platforms verskyn (op LitNet en Vrouekeur se webwerwe, in Sarie en Rooi Rose, en ook in die bundel ‘Skrik op die lyf ‘– 2015) maar is sedertdien bygewerk.
Skink ‘n koppie tee en kuier saam.
#Uitdieperdsebek
Die bundel bevat 29 kortverhale oor vriendskap en empatie wat mens elke dag én in krisistye met ligter tred help voortstap.
Die karakters is raak beskryf en lewe in volkleur, meestal in en om Kaapstad. Hulle geniet die natuurprag om Chapman’s Piek op ʼn blou-lug dag met wit branders, ruik die sout see, hoor die seemeeue krys en proe vars gebakte brood met tuisgemaakte perskekonfyt.
Die verhale is ʼn weerspieëling van die vreugdes, verdriet en veranderinge wat veroudering en die alledaagse lewe vir ons almal meebring. Soos die liefde wat onverwags in Rome begin blom, die strewe om enduit ʼn gevoel van waardigheid te handhaaf, of hoe om uitdagende situasies te bowe te kom. En, hoe nuwe kommunikasie metodes op elektroniese en verhoudingsvlakke hanteer kan word.
Jonk en oud deel ook wedersyds hul ondervindinge met mekaar. Die wipplank van die lewe, die goeie en die slegte in mense bied vele keuses hoe mens daarop reageer. Uiteindelik bly dit jou keuse om te maak, soos of jy sou wou kinders hê of nie, en of jy dalk ’n meermin sou wou word.
Renée du Toit (neé Luwes) raak studentetyd verlief op Kaapstad na sy op ‘n kort seereis vandaar vertrek. Deur dekades van grootword, leef op klein dorpies en in stede en na reise oraloor, bly sy hunker na die mooie Kaapstad. Na voltooiing van Hons.BSoc.Sc Verpleegkunde aan Vrystaat Universiteit en ‘n paar jaar se ondervinding in kliniese verpleging, vind sy haar nis in die beplanning en bou van klinieke tot groot akademiese hospitale. Na ‘n vervroegde aftrede om gesondheidsredes verruil sy die skryf van akademiese artikels vir kortverhale.
Vriendskappe van skool en studente dae en familie bly kosbare ondersteuning deur haar lewe heen. Deesdae rits Renée in Seepunt rond op ‘n rooi vierwiel scooter, tel skulpe op, waardeer die natuurskoon en geniet interaksie met die mense wat haar pad kruis. Sy reis steeds en droom om die noorderligte te sien, krukke en al.
Bestellings kan geplaas word by:
Tee Vir Jou - Naledi Online
Amazon Books: Tee vir jou? (Afrikaans Edition) - Kindle edition by du Toit, Renée. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Elmaré Lombard
Hierdie roman wat in die Kamdeboo-Karoo afspeel, is die verhaal van twee kinders wie se lewens gedurende hul volwasse jare onverwags kruis.
Dit is hier waar die Karoo-wildepruim groei ‘n boom wat deur die hele verhaal as simbool van aanpassing, beskerming en oorlewing staan en as onverklaarbare mistieke dimensie die verhaal verryk.
Die storielyn word rondom vele menslike en omgewingskarakters geweef en vertel van die ruwe aardsheid van die streek, die
egtheid van sy mense, sy diere en plante en ryk geskiedkundige, geografiese en geesteswêrelde. Die leser beleef dié unieke omgewing deur die ervarings van Katrina en Ella en loop saam op die spore van die streeksgeskiedenis soos deur fossiele, artefakte, rotstekeninge en die pad van die veeboerpioniers “vertel”.
WILDEPRUIM wys op die ironie van die lewe: Die eenvoud van ’n karige lewe lei tot waardering, vrolikheid en humor, en die letsels van die lewe ontsluit uithouvermoë, lewensvreugde en positiewe energie.
Hierdie sensitiewe roman en opbeurende krag van humor in die vele stories sal tot alle lesers spreek.
Uit: Stories agter die mantel
J.S.M. Henning (SC)
Via Sarie van Niekerk
Die smokkelaars was egter nie altyd aan die wenkant gewees nie.
Van al die stories oor smokkelary is die verhaal van die Stadlers van Gesemap een van die treffendste voorbeelde van hoe die reg tog uiteindelik afreken met diegene wat op ‘n onwettige wyse geld wil maak uit die natuurlike hulpbronne van die Noord-Kaap
Kommandant Albertus Johannes Stadler Stadler, beter bekend as oom Albert, en sy seuns het ‘n wild besigheid bedryf op die plaas Geisemap onder die vaandel ‘Geisemap Reserwse EiendomsBeperl’. Die plaas, wat meer as twaalf duisend hektaar groot is, is naby die Kalahari Gemsbokpark (tans dee van die Kgalagadioorgrenspark). Hy het ook grond aangrensend aan Geisemap in Namibië gehad.
Die wildbesigheid het daaruit bestaan dat jagters van heinde en verre daar kom jag het. Daarbenewens het die Stadlers ook lewendige gemsbokke gevang en verkoop.
Oom Albert is gebore op 15 Augustus 1904. Hy was dus al n behaarde man van 79 toe hy en sy seuns gedurende September 1983 in Upington aangekla is.
Oom Albert se name was uitsonderlik. Sy van sowel sy laaste voornaam was Stadler. Daarbenewens was sy eerste voornaam Kommandant.
Toe Streeklanddros Andries van Wyk vir oom Albert in die hof gevra het of die verwysing na kommandant voor sy name ‘n militêre rang is, het hy geantwoord: “Ek is nie ’n gemaakte kommandant nie. Ek is so gebore en gedoop”.
Hy is na bewering vernoem na kommandant Albert Stadler wat een van die bevelvoerders was van die rebelliemag van generaals Maritz en Kemp tydens die rebellie van 1914 tot 1915.
Oom Albert was nie die tipe wat op ‘n ouetehuis se stoep gesit en mymer het nie. Op ‘n hoë ouderdom was hy nog baie aktief, soos blyk uit die feit dat hy op ouderdom 76 skuldig bevind is op aanklagte dat hy sonder ‘n permit en met honde wild gejag het.
Daar is slim mense wat reken dat die Hottentot-woord “t’karri” wat “hard” beteken, deel vorm van die naam Kalahari. Die oorsprong van die naam mag debatteerbaar wees. Dit is egter ‘n onomstootlike feit dat die Kalahari ‘n harde wêreld is. Die manne wat die Kalahari getem het, was harde manne. Oom Albert was een van hulle.
Oom Albert het groot geword in ‘n tyd toe daar nie so streng beheer deur die Staat oor wilde diere was nie. Toe die Kalahari Gemsbokpark I 1931ngestig is om gemsbokke te beskerm, was oom Albert al ‘n groot man. Hy het hom moeilik versoen met die gedagte dat ‘n ordonnansie vir hom kon voorskryf oor wat hy met wild op sy plaas mag en nie mag doen die.
Iemand wat oom Albert van kleintyd geken het, was Elias Le Riche wat grootgeword het in die Kalahari Gemsbokpark. Sy pa was toe die hoof van die park. Vandat hy ‘n seuntjie was, het hy saam met sy pa in die park rond beweeg.
Le Riche het tydens die verhoor in 1983 getuig dat hy as sewe-jarige seun by was toe sy pa oom Albert geskiet het.
Later was hy weer by toe sy pa oom Albert betrap het nadat hy ‘n gemsbok geskiet het. Die gemsbok het ‘n kalf gehad. Oom Albert het net die boude en rugbiltong van die koei afgesny, en die res van die karkas in ‘n put gegooi. Die kalf het hy in die veld agtergelaat om alleen die toekoms in te gaan. Le Riche en sy pa het die kalf gaan soek en later hans groot gemaak.
Oom Albert het twee seuns gehad, Nicolaas (Nicky) en Johan. Wat die jag van wild aanbetref het die twee appels nie vêr van die boom geval nie. Hulle het ‘n lys van
formidabele vorige veroordelings betreffende die onwettige jag van wild en verwante aktiwiteite opgebou. Hulle was manne wat nie hulle tyd verdryf het deur in die dorps koor te sing nie.
Dit is dus te verstane dat Elias Le Riche onrustig was oor die feit dat die Stadlers naby die Kalahari Gemsbokpark ‘n wild besigheid bedryf het. Met sulke manne in die omgewing, slaap ‘n wildbewaarder nie lekker nie.
Hierdie is ‘n uittreksel uit een van die verhale uit die boek Stories agter die toga
Iets oor die skrywer.
Sarie van Niekerk
Die skrywer, Jan Henning, was vir meer as 30 jaar ‘n staatsaanklaer en het verskeie hoë profiel sake aangekla in die tydperk. In hierdie boek fokus hy op interessante gebeure en mense waarmee hy in sy loopbaan te make gehad het. Hy het on2006 afgetree as adjunk-nasionale direkteur van die Openbare Vervolgingsgesag.
Toe hy die dag afgetree het, het die hoof staatsaanklaers vir hom ‘n skootrekenaar gegee met die op die opdrag om stories te skryf. Hierdie boek is egter per hand geskryf aangesien Jan rekenaar ongeletterd was.
“Ek wil my dogters Hannali, Drinie en my vrou Christa, bedank vir al hulle ondersteuning met die tikwerk, koffie en administrasie.
Jan is enkele jare na sy aftrede oorlede na ‘n uitgerekte stryd teen kanker.
Stories agter die toga word versprei en bemark deur:
Kraal-Uitgewers. Bestellings kan oop geplaas word deur Lisa of Marie te kontak by 082 579 4070
Henning van Aswegen.
Good night and fly high Nana, may your soul rest in peace Te vinnig en so jonk
Ds. Innes Benade
Ds. Innes en sy vrou Greta
Jona en Petrus sou verstaan.
Die vreesaanjaende gevoel van sink.
Diep in die bodemlose golf gewelf van die see.
Soms voel ek ook of dinge te veel raak.
Of ek eenvoudig net nie bo kan kom nie.
My suurstof te min - my kragte uitgeput.
Ons verlaat die skip, spring oorboord en gee oor.
Of ons tree uit die skuit, hoopvol met ons oë op CHRISTUS, kyk af, verloor visie en sink die donker dieptes in...
Dit is dán wanneer GOD se krag tot redding kom.
As ons op ons swakste, bangste, weerloosste is - tree SY BELOFTES in.
'Jona - EK hoor jou benoude roep uit die buik van die vis'
'Petrus - EK sien jou sink'
'Jona - Jy sál Ninive sien, op MY voorwaardes en redding bring en die stad vertel van tweede kanse, ommekeer en herstel.
'Petrus - Jy sál op die water loop. Voorloop in die kerk van HOOP. Vreesloos. Ek vat jou by die hand. EK ssl joú nooit los nie...'
Liewe Leser,
Ook jý is in SY HANDE.
HY hou jou vas.
Sal nooit laat los nie.
Want die prys was te duur.
SY EIE redding deur GOD ons VADER, uit die dieptes van die dood word ons HOOP en GELOOF van LIEFDE onbegrens.
In die Evangelie van Johannes kom 7
EK IS
uitsprake:
1. Die BROOD van die lewe.
(Johannes 6:22-59)
2. Die LIG van die wêreld.
(Johannes 8:12-43)
3. Die DEUR.
(Johannes 10:1-21)
4. Die goeie HERDER.
(Johannes 10:1-21)
5. Die OPSTANDING en die LEWE.
(Johannes 11:1-44)
6. Die WEG, die WAARHEID en die LEWE (Johannes 14:1-31)
7. Die ware WYNSTOK.
(Johannes 15:1-27)
Ek fokus graag op die 6de uitspraak van Jesus wat sê: “EK IS die weg en die waarheid en die lewe.”
Ons hoor JESUS se dinamiese uitspraak in persoonlike konteks.
Geen wonderwerk en geen gelykenis.
Slegs die suiwer, feitelike waarheid.
HY IS die WEG, die WAARHEID, en die LEWE.
Oor die 'LEWE' kry ons in SY vorige uitsprake duidelikheid. Dit is die Ewige Lewe.
Maar wanneer JESUS openbaar dat HÝ die 'WEG' en die 'WAARHEID' is, is dit duidelik dat daar net een regte pad na die Ewige Lewe is, en dit is deur HOM!
JOHANNES 14:1-31
[1] “Julle moet nie ontsteld wees nie. Glo in GOD; glo ook in MY.
[2] In die huis van MY VADER is daar baie woonplek. As dit nie so was nie, sou EK nie vir julle gesê het EK gaan om vir julle plek gereed te maak nie.
[3] En as EK gegaan het en vir julle plek gereed gemaak het, kom EK terug en sal julle na MY toe neem, sodat julle ook kan wees waar EK is.
[4] En julle ken die weg na die plek waarheen EK gaan.”
[5] Tomas sê toe vir HOM: “HERE, ons weet nie waarheen U gaan nie; hoe kan ons dan die weg daarheen ken?” [
6] JESUS het vir hom gesê: “EK is die weg en die waarheid en die lewe. Niemand kom na die VADER toe behalwe deur MY nie.
[7] As julle MY ken, sal julle MY VADER ook ken. En van nou af ken julle HOM en sien julle HOM”
[8] Toe sê Filippus vir HOM: “HERE, wys vir ons die VADER, en dit is vir ons genoeg.”
[9] En JESUS sê vir hom: “EK is al so lank by julle, en ken jy MY nie, Filippus? Wie MY sien, sien die VADER. Hoe kan jy dan sê: ‘Wys vir ons die VADER’?
[10] Glo jy nie dat EK in die VADER is en die VADEE in MT nie? Die woorde wat EK met julle praat, praat EK nie uit my eie nie; maar dit kom van die VADER wat in MY bly en SY werke doen.
[11] Glo in MY omdat EK in die VADER is en die VADER in MY; of anders, glo op grond van die werke self.
[12] “Dít verseker EK julle: Wie in MY glo, sal ook die dinge doen wat EK doen; en hy sal nog groter dinge as dit doen, omdat EK na die VADER toe gaan.
[13] Wat julle ook al in MY NAAM vra, sal EK doen, sodat die VADER deur die SEUN verheerlik kan word.
[14] As julle MY iets in MY NAAM vra, sal EK dit doen.”
[15] “As julle MY liefhet, sal julle MY opdragte uitvoer.
[16] EK sal die VADER vra, en HY sal vir julle 'n ander VOORSPRAAK stuur om vir ewig by julle te wees,
[17] naamlik die GEES van die waarheid. Die wêreld kan HOM nie ontvang nie, omdat hulle HOM nie sien en HOM nie ken nie. Maar julle ken HOM, omdat HY by julle bly en in julle sal wees.
[18] “EK sal julle nie as weeskinders agterlaat nie; EK kom weer na julle toe.
[19] Nog net 'n klein rukkie, en dan sien die wêreld MY nie meer nie, maar julle sien MY, omdat EK lewe en julle sal lewe.
[20] Daardie dag sal julle weet dat EK in MY VADER is en julle in MY en EK in julle.
[21] “Wie MY opdragte het en dit uitvoer – dit is hy wat MY liefhet. En wie MY liefhet, hóm sal MY VADER liefhê, en EK sal hom ook liefhê en MY aan hom openbaar.”
[22] Judas, nie Judas Iskariot nie, vra toe vir HOM: “HERE, hoe kom dit dat U U aan ons gaan openbaar en nie aan die wêreld nie?”
[23] JESUS antwoord hom: “As iemand MY liefhet, sal hy MY woorde ter harte neem; en MY VADER sal hom liefhê, en ONS sal na hom toe kom en by hom woon.
[24] Wie MY nie liefhet nie, neem MY woorde nie ter harte nie; en die woorde wat julle hoor, is nie MYNE nie, maar die VADER s'n wat MY gestuur het.
[25] “Dit sê EK vir julle terwyl EK nog by julle bly; [26] en wanneer die VADER in MY NAAM die VOORSPRAAK, die HEILIGE GEES, stuur, sal HY julle alles leer en julle herinner aan alles wat EK vir julle gesê het.
[27] “Vrede laat EK vir julle na; MY vrede gee EK vir julle. Die vrede wat EK vir julle gee, is nie die soort wat die wêreld gee nie.
Julle moet nie ontsteld wees nie, en julle moet nie bang wees nie.
[28] Julle het gehoor dat EK vir julle gesê het: EK gaan weg, maar EK kom weer na julle toe. As julle MY liefgehad het, sou julle bly gewees het dat EK na die VADER toe gaan, omdat die VADER groter as EK is.
[29] En nou sê EK dit vir julle voordat dit gebeur, sodat julle kan glo wanneer dit gebeur.
[30] EK sal nie meer lank met julle kan praat nie, want die owerste van die wêreld is aan die kom. Hy het geen mag oor MY nie,
[31] maar die wêreld moet weet dat EK die VADER liefhet en daarom doen wat die VADER MY beveel het. “Staan op, laat ons hiervandaan weggaan.'
