Zimbabwe Police and its predecessors

Last modified: 2002-02-16 by jarig bakker
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• Zimbabwe Republic Police
• British South African Police first flag
• British South African Police 1960-1970
• British South African Police 1970-1980
• British South African Police emblem

• Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe: index of all pages

Zimbabwe Republic Police

Regarding the flag of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, I received the following information from Michael Faul, editor of Flagmaster (The Flag Institute), and a former BSAP reservist:
I remember the BSAP flag well. With only slight variations it remains the flag of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (despite the
inappropriateness of the emblem). A star-type badge was added behind the lion, making it the same as the cap-badge, and the motto was changed to "Pro Lege, Pro Patria, Pro Populo".
Devereaux Cannon. 6 Feb 2002

British South African Police first flag

On 21 May 1884, the territory of Bechuanaland was declared a British Protectorate. A force of 100 men was organised to police the Protectorate and became known as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police. In1885 a new force was raised and the name was changed to Bechuanaland Border Police. When the Eastern part of the Protectorate was transferred to the British South Africa Company in 1895, most of the men of this force were transferred to the BSAC Police. The badge of the Police at that time was in the colours red on blue, and showed a lion with tusk in the centre, surrounded by the words "The British South Africa Company Police", with the name finally changing to the British South Africa Police (BSAP) in 1898.

For many years the BSAP doubled as a police force and military unit in Rhodesia, and they were at first the only force to confront the armed insurgents that started to infiltrate the country in the 1960s. In later years this task was passed on to the army, although the BSAP retained some units in a military role.

There were numerous variants of the police badge in use at different periods prior to the Second World War. In 1933 a crown was added above the badge to bring it in line with the badges of other colonial police forces.

In 1949 a new version of the badge was adopted and it was this version that was used on the first police flag, in the centre of a field of very dark blue (zw-bsap1). The crest showed the lion badge encircled by a scroll bearing the BSAP motto Pro Rege, Pro Lege, Pro Patria which can be translated as "For Sovereign, For Law, For Country", with another scroll below containing the words "British South Africa Police".  This crest, yellow with dark blue lettering, was used until 1960.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 by R Allport, SAVA Journal 5/96.
Bruce Berry, 6 Feb 2002

British South African Police 1960-1970

In 1960 the crest was changed to a simpler design of the badge, closer to that of the original medal design, and a crown was added above the badge. The police flag was changed to incorporate the new crest, yellow with black outlining and a yellow scroll with black letters, and at the same time the colour of the field was changed to a brilliant shade of navy blue
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 by R Allport, SAVA Journal 5/96.
Bruce Berry, 6 Feb 2002

British South African Police 1970-1980

In 1970 when Rhodesia became a republic the crown was removed from the crest and from the flag, although the name "British South Africa Police" was retained until 1980.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 by R Allport, SAVA Journal 5/96.
Bruce Berry, 6 Feb 2002

British South African Police emblem

The badge which later became the official BSAP badge and was featured on all of the BSAP flags, was first used on the reverse of the medals awarded to troopers who had taken part in the campaigns in Matabeleland and Mashonaland between 1890 and 1897. The badge shows a charging lion (presumably the "British Lion") with a spear in its chest, against a background of Mimosa bushes, with assegais and shields on the ground.
Source: Flags and Symbols of Rhodesia, 1890-1980 by R Allport, SAVA Journal 5/96.
Bruce Berry, 6 Feb 2002