Paul Erasmus was a
South African Security Police officer who testified to the
Goldstone Commission
The Goldstone Commission, formally known as the Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation, was appointed on 24 October 1991 to investigate political violence and intimidation in South Africa. Over its three- ...
, and later the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...
about police dirty tricks and violence during the
apartheid era
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
. This testimony revealed the existence of a unit in the Security Police called STRATCOM (Strategic Communications) that specialised in misinformation and propaganda against opponents of the regime. Erasmus also testified on the police efforts to discredit
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She ser ...
by spreading false rumours about sexual affairs and drug use.
Before joining STRATCOM, Erasmus had served in the counter-insurgency campaign in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
, as part of the
Koevoet
Koevoet (, meaning '' crowbar'', also known as Operation K or SWAPOL-COIN) was the counterinsurgency branch of the South West African Police (SWAPOL). Its formations included white South African police officers, usually seconded from the South ...
police unit.
Trashing music industry
Erasmus appears in a documentary, ''Stopping the Music: the Roger Lucey Story'', in which he explains Stratcom's campaign against South African folk rock guitarist
Roger Lucey
Roger Lucey (born 1954) is a South African musician, journalist, film maker, actor and educator. In the late 1970s and early 1980s his early career as a musician was destroyed by Paul Erasmus of the Security Branch of the South African Police ...
, which led to banning and disruption of gigs, confiscation of records, and an overzealous campaign against
Shifty Records
Founded by Lloyd Ross and Ivan Kadey, Shifty Records was a South African anti-apartheid record label which existed for over a decade beginning in 1982. In 1986 Kadey left South Africa and became partner with the Waterland Design Group in Hollywoo ...
and the South African music industry in general. Erasmus's revelations were published in a biography, which was then extracted by an article in the Mail & Guardian.
Torture as treatment
Erasmus was a feared interrogator. His methods of persuasion included burning, choking, beating, drowning, and administering electric shocks.
Biography
''Foot Soldier for Apartheid'', an unpublished manuscript, has extracts available online.
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References
External links
Tuning Into the Enemy- BBC Radio
27 November 2000, Truth and reconciliation commission
Regulation Gazette, No. 7311 No. R. 26, 2002. Government Gazette, Vol. 441, No. 23257, 28 March 2002. Section "XIV Paul Erasmus (identity number 5602145141006), in respect of -"
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
South African police officers
People who testified at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)
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