The late Wilson Lwandhle Magadhla served in the South African Police
Force at the peak of the struggle against the apartheid regime. Even as
he remained true to his profession of policing, his heart remained with
the freedom fighters; he yearned for a country underlined by equality
before the law. Merit, he felt, should be the basis of judging persons
rather than the colour of their skin.
Drawing suspicion from both sides of the struggle, the good soldier
soldiered on, balancing between loyalty to his people and the profession
of keeping law and order.
So what were the conditions like in policing during the years of
apartheid? What was life like for a black police officer serving under
the authority of one of the most repressive and detested regimes in the
world? How did black policemen balance between the need for liberation
from the oppressive order of apartheid and their duty to do law
enforcement?
Following the fall of the apartheid regime, the author went on to serve
in Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that was chaired by the
Reverend Desmond Tutu. Magadhla was the head of the Special
Investigative Section of the commission.
Published posthumously, The Colour of the Skunk is a book for
historical records, providing an insider's account of working in
government founded racial discrimination.
