War In Peace - Nick Howarth - A Short Summary and Review
War In Peace: South African Police East Rand Riot Unit 1986-1994 - Nick Howarth - A Short Summary and Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A Short Summary:
In War in Peace, Nick Howarth recounts his nine years serving with the South African Police, much of that time as a sergeant in the East Rand Riot Unit during the final years of apartheid. An accomplished young athlete with dreams of competing internationally, Howarth joins the police in 1986 and soon discovers a world far removed from the peaceful childhood he remembers. Assigned to police some of South Africa's most troubled townships, he becomes a firsthand witness to the escalating political violence that engulfed the country in the years leading to its first democratic national elections in 1994.
As tensions between the African National Congress (ANC), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and other political factions intensify, Howarth and his fellow officers find themselves responding to riots, massacres, political assassinations, and increasingly violent confrontations. The East Rand townships become battlegrounds where ordinary residents, political activists, police officers, and armed militants are caught in a struggle over political control. Howarth describes the dangers of policing these communities, the deaths of fellow officers, the emotional consequences of prolonged exposure to violence, and the difficulties of attempting to maintain order in a society undergoing enormous political change.
Combining personal recollections, historical background, newspaper accounts, and photographs, Howarth offers his perspective on a particularly violent period in South African history. He challenges accusations against the Riot Units, criticizes political organizations and media coverage, and argues that ordinary policemen's experiences have received insufficient recognition. His account offers readers an intensely personal, sometimes controversial perspective on the violence accompanying South Africa's transition to democracy.
My Favorite Quote from the Book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My Review:
War in Peace by Nick Howarth is a stark, revealing, and frequently shocking account of the violence that engulfed South Africa during the final years of apartheid. Written from the perspective of a sergeant serving with the East Rand Riot Unit, the book provides an unsettling look at the realities of policing communities caught between competing political movements, ethnic tensions, and escalating violence. I knew that South Africa's transition to democracy had been turbulent, but I was genuinely surprised by the extent and brutality of the violence Howarth describes. His recollections of massacres, political intimidation, attacks on civilians, and the deaths of fellow policemen make for difficult reading.
One of the book's most interesting aspects is the perspective from which it is told. Howarth was not a political leader making decisions about South Africa's future. He was a young policeman assigned to confront the consequences of those decisions on the ground. His accounts of operating in the townships, attempting to separate hostile groups, and responding to unimaginable violence offer an intensely personal view of a complicated historical period. Particularly disturbing are the descriptions of civilians becoming targets of political violence and the apparent ease with which communities could descend into cycles of intimidation, retaliation, and murder. These stories are not comfortable, but they are worth examining.
I also found myself questioning how political movements justify violence to achieve their objectives. Howarth is openly critical of the ANC and its supporters, particularly regarding the violence directed against political opponents and those perceived as collaborators. Of course, Howarth's experiences represent one perspective on a complicated period in South African history. His account offers an important opportunity to consider the challenges faced by the Riot Units while recognizing that the broader conflict involved many competing interests and experiences. His experiences cannot explain every aspect of the conflict, nor should readers accept his conclusions without considering other sources. However, his descriptions of the brutality inflicted on ordinary people raise important questions about political responsibility, community manipulation, and the human cost of struggles for power.
Ultimately, War in Peace is a disturbing and thought-provoking memoir that challenged my understanding of South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy. I was shocked not only by the violence itself, but also by the competing interests, political rivalries, and devastating consequences for people who simply wanted to live their lives. Howarth's account is unquestionably shaped by his personal experiences and loyalties, but that is also what makes it an interesting historical testimony. I would recommend this book to readers interested in South African history, political conflict, and the complicated realities behind major historical transformations. It is not an easy read, and it should not be the only account one consults, but it certainly provides much to consider.
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