Developed by Hein Crocker
HISTORY
LEGENDS
The late Minister of Transport
and Honorary Colonel of the
SARP Special Task Force
The late Commissioner of
the S.A. Railways Police,
Lieutenant General J.H.
Visagie
The late Asst. Commissioner
(Counter Insurgency) of the
S.A. Railways Police,
Brigadier G.Z Erlank
The late Major D.F.
Malan - First
Commander - (Rural)
The late Major
A.S.J. Jooste
Captain A.E Olivier - 3rd
Commander of the Special
Task Force
Captain J.F. Lotriet - 4th
Commander of the Special
Task Force
Captain P.C.J. Schutte
2IC of the Special Task
Force
Captain E.F. Boucher
5th Commander of the Special
Task Force
Lieutenant- General
AF Horak, The first
Commanding Officer
of the Special Task Force
The history of the Special Task Force, as well as the termination of the unit in 1989 after the amalgamation between the
South African Police and the South African Railways Police in 1986 needs to be told. It all started in 1975 with a Rural
Orientated Task Force unit and the establishment of a Urban Special Task Force in 1980. The Task Force was respected
by many Local and Foreign Special Forces units and were on par with most of these units. The men that served in the
Special Task Force will never be forgotten and we pay special tribute to those members that have passed on. They will
forever be in our memories. Through organised reunions, a S.A.R.P. Special Task Force Facebook page, a WhatsApp
group and a S.A.R.P. Special Task Force Association established in 2016, the members are able to keep in touch and keep
the spirit of the Special Task Force alive.
Without the commitment and dedication of many individuals it would have been impossible for the S.A.R.P. Special Task
Force to have achieved what it has achieved since the humble beginnings in 1975 until the unfortunate closure of the unit
in 1989. The individuals below have all contributed immensely and we would like to honor and salute them.
