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South African Police Service

image by Martin Grieve, 09 Oct 2002

South African Police Service
South African Police (1983 - 1994)
South African Railways Police

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South African Police Service (SAPS)

image by Jarig Bakker, 14 May 2002

The South African Police Service (SAPS) recently adopted a new flag to reflect the changes which the old South Africa Police (SAP) has undergone and to promote the new identity of the SAPS.

The flag follows the basic design of its predecessor, and indeed those of the SA Armed Forces and the Correctional Services department.
The flag has the South African national flag in the canton fimbriated in white at the fly. The field of the flag is dark blue with the new badge of the SAPS in the lower fly. Dividing the flag into two halves is a gold horizontal stripe (one-seventh the width of the flag). The new flag was officially adopted in October 1997 and replaces the flag of the former SAP, which followed the same basic design but with the old flag and old police badge, which was adopted in 1983.
Only the national flag has been flown at police stations between April 1994 and October 1997.
Bruce Berry, 12 Aug 1998

The new South African Police Service (SAPS) flag was registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry on 17 Oct 1997 with the following description:
A rectangular blue flag, proportions two by three, with a single yellow horizontal stripe one-seventh the width of the flag, across the centre, in the canton the national flag of the Republic of South Africa as registered under Government Notice No. 645 of 5 May 1995, and in the lower fly the badge of the South African Police Service as registered under Government Notice No. 1548 of 6 October 1995.
Source: Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on registered heraldic representations.
Mark Sensen, 19 May 2002

The flag of the SA Police Service is very similar to the flag of its predecessor, the South African Police (also called South African Police Force). The SAP flag was the same blue, has the same yellow bar, and has the 1928 national flag in the same position as the 1994 version in the current flag. The police badge is in the same position, and the sunburst is identical.

The difference, aside from the 1928 national flag, is that in place of the Aloe in the centre of the badge, there is a representation of the 1930 version of the Union of South Africa coat of arms. You will find this at my website. The switch from the arms to the aloe was a very good one, from both a political and an aesthetic point of view. The use of the complete achievement made the badge very hard to recognise, and is on a par with similar heraldic misuses still traditional in South African traffic police forces (provincial and municipal).
Mike Oettle, 14 Oct 2002

South African Police (1983 - 1994)

image by Martin Grieve, 16 Aug 2005

The former South African Police (SAP) flag was registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry on 14 Oct 1983 with the following description:
"A rectangular blue flag, proportions three by two, with a single yellow horizontal stripe one-seventh the width of the flag, across the centre, in the canton the National Flag and in the lower fly the badge of the South African Police".
Source: Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on registered heraldic representations.
Mark Sensen, 19 May 2002

image by Martin Grieve, 16 Aug 2005

South African Railways Police

image by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2005

The flag of the South African Railways Police was registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry on 7 Feb 1986 with the following description:
"A rectangular flag, proportions three by two, in the canton the National Flag of the Republic of South Africa occupying the full first quarter, the lower hoist gold, and the fly black, charged in the lower fly with the badge of the South African Railways Police, proper (to wit: On a circular field Sable with a concentric bordure of the same, Or, a representation of the embellished coat of arms of the Republic of South Africa in original colours within the shield. On the bordure in the upper half in letters Or: SUID-AFRIKA, and in the lower half in letters of the same: SOUTH AFRICA. The whole is encircled by a laurel wreath containing at the top a representation of the Voortrekker Monument, all Or, and set off below by a scroll Sable lined Or, on which appear in letters Or: S.A.S. - S.A.R. Below the whole on a scroll Sable lined Or in letters of the same: POLISIE - POLICE)".
Source: Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on registered heraldic representations.
Mark Sensen, 19 May 2002

The SA Railway Police was a division of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration. It was originally purely a transport policing section, but ended up with wide powers because of its jurisdiction in SAR&H hostels in the black townships. They used to spend a lot of time raiding these hostels for dagga (cannabis/marijuana - or, as they seem to call it in Amsterdam, tee). The SARP was also responsible for airport and harbour security, and had its own launches. Sadly, the only flag I recall seeing on their launches was the national flag. The SARP was merged with the SAP in the mid-1980s and accordingly, the flag is no longer used.
Mike Oettle, 14 Oct 2002

image by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2005

Although the official description of the South African Railways Police (SARP) flag does not mention a fimbriation around the national flag or badge, I have a table flag in my possession which does have these fimbriations as shown in the illustration below.
Bruce Berry, 19 Aug 2005

image by Martin Grieve, 17 Aug 2005