Newcastle KZN: Captain Amod Adams; A man of posture, dignity and respect

After obtaining approval to start a sports & recreation club in 1982 for all 'non-white members', Adams played a key role in supporting sports among members of colour within the SAPS.

August 5, 2021

Zianne van der Nest 5 minutes read

Amod Musa Adams has been a stand-out member of his community for over 30 years, both as a resident and a law enforcement officer.

He has dedicated his life to ensuring the safety of others and has experienced many trials and tribulations along the way…

From uncovering an R8-million money heist to patrolling the South African borders back in the days of ‘war’, Adams has truly seen it all.

The Newcastle Advertiser recently sat down with him to get to know this ‘hero’ a little bit better.

Who is Amod Musa Adams?

He was born on May 5, 1940, at 22 Kirk Street in Worcester in the Western Cape.

“My mother, Shereen, was on holiday at my granny’s house when she went into labour. My granny, Elizabeth Adams, helped deliver me at her house,” he explains.

At this time, he said the Second World War was still raging, making it difficult for his mother to board a train from Worcester to Ladysmith, KZN.

After six months, his mother was able to return to Newcastle, where she left him with her sister, Ansu Leila, who eventually moved to Dundee, so that Amod could attend an ‘Indian’ school, as there were none in Newcastle at the time.

Amod attended Dundee Indian Secondary School (now Dundee High School), where he matriculated in 1958.

Gaining his military background

He returned to the Cape at the age of 20, joining the Voluntary Cape Coloured Corps and from 1960 to 1962 was stationed at a military camp for Malays and ‘coloureds’ in Good Wood, Western Cape.

“At the time, the military was largely made up of white South Africans, with Africans making up the rest. Indians and ‘coloureds’ were only allowed to serve as volunteers,” he explains.

Amod decided to move to Korsten in Port Elizabeth after serving two years, where he worked as a cashier at one of the local grocery stores.

Becoming an officer of the law

“In 1964, I travelled to Dundee to see my mother. Her next-door neighbour, Sergeant Bob Sanker of Dundee SAPS, noticed me. He informed my mother that I had the potential to join the South African police force and that I should meet him the next day at the station.”

Adams followed Sanker’s instructions and met with him the next day, where he was referred to Captain JJO Strydom at District Headquarters, who finalised Adams’ application.

“In February of that year, I received a call-up letter from Dundee police station, instructing me to report for duty on May 1, 1965. I, on the other hand, was unduly enthusiastic and reported for duty on April 15, 1965.”

This is where his journey as an avid police officer would begin to shape him into one of the best men on the force…

Adams was nominated for a four-month mechanical course at the Benoni Mechanical School in Gauteng in April 1968.

Tuition, theoretical and practical instruction in the driving, care, handling, and repair of State vehicles was included in the course.

Adams was then assigned to the Pietermaritzburg Police Garage in July 1968, where he repaired police vehicles for six months due to a staffing shortage.

Adams was sent on yet another course in 1970; this time he received counterinsurgency (COIN) training to combat terrorism.

“We were taught how to recognise and identify insurgents and what steps must be taken when discovering explosives to avoid an explosion occurring.”

Adams was stationed to conduct COIN duties alongside the Rosslyn Public Order Policing (POP) Unit near the Transkei Border; therefore this course was critical.

He explained, “We conducted operations from Mbizana to Nomlacu to Redoubt, ending at Kumabula.”

During this time, the operative teams were able to retrieve 60 stolen trucks, 90 stolen cars and 35 bakkies.

Adams, together with 20 other officers, was assigned to execute special duties at the Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) border in May 1973.

He explained, “We were taken from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, where we performed our responsibilities alongside the Zambezi River and the Kariba Dam.”

In 1977, he was reassigned to border patrol duties, this time between Swaziland and Mozambique, before returning to Dundee to resume his routine responsibilities.

In 1979, Adams was transferred to the Brits police station in Gauteng, where he worked as a charge officer until being assigned to patrol alongside Mozambique at the Induma Game Reserve on the Pongola border.

He’d come to the reserve to help prevent the mindless poaching of rhinos.

He would thereafter be sent to numerous border patrols throughout South Africa, before being sent to Newcastle to assist in the training of younger, less experienced officers at the SAPS Training Centre in Lennoxton.

Celebrating Armistice Day

In February 1981, Adams was given the task of preparing a platoon to perform at military funerals. as well as the annual Armistice Day commemoration celebration in November.

“I trained 36 police officers in military drill, and their superb foot and weapon drill astounded senior officials from headquarters.”

According to Adams, attending the M.O.T.H. Club’s yearly memorial service was a family custom, since he rigorously followed his mother’s rituals.

“In memory of those who died in the First and Second World War, we always lay a wreath. My mother informed me when I was a child that my grandfather had lost five brothers in the First World War, and that my grandfather himself had been killed in Natal during the Zulu War. So I’ve followed our good old traditions and will continue to do so,” he exclaims.

Excelling at his duties

One of Adams’ fondest recollections was the day he assisted in the investigation of an alleged R8-million bank robbery at Volkskas Bank on July 17, 1982.

“We were able to retrieve the money, as well as R90,000 in un-cashed cheques.”

Another fond memory is being awarded a Certificate of Commission by late President Nelson Mandela at a prestige awards ceremony in 1994.

“Nelson Mandela himself awarded myself and 27 other people this award, so that was an honour to be a part of,” he smiles.

Encouraging sports among members of colour

After obtaining approval to start a sports & recreation club in 1982 for all ‘non-white members’, Adams played a key role in supporting sports among members of colour within the SAPS.

“Our male members preferred soccer, whereas our female members excelled at netball and tennis.”

A Token of Appreciation

Adams was awarded a ‘Token of Appreciation’ by the commissioner of the SA Police on August 25, 1989, after being deployed to Ovambo Land (a territory set aside for black residents of South Africa and South West Africa – now Namibia – as part of the National Party administration’s apartheid policy).

A family man

Adams met and married his first wife, Mariam, through an arranged marriage shortly after joining the SAPS.

“My father was a store owner at the time and arranged that I marry a fellow businessman’s daughter,” he said.

During their marriage, the couple would be delighted to welcome the birth of their four children (two sons and two daughters).

The pair, however, chose to separate ways after 22 years together.

Adams met his real love, Rafika, 35 years ago while undercover in Stanger, KZN, determined not to give up on love.

“I was assigned to Stanger to work on approximately 45 unsolved murder cases that had previously been closed by ‘corrupt’ police officials. It was here that I first noticed her. I ran into her again when I returned to Newcastle, since her family owned a butchery here. I knew she was the one for me, so I asked for her hand in marriage pretty quickly,” he explained.

Shortly after their marriage, Adams and his wife were blessed with two additional sons, strengthening his legacy.

Adams’ eldest son, unfortunately, died as a consequence of a bizarre weapon mishap.

“Unfortunately, my boy got hold of my pistol and the weapon was fired, killing my son in the process,” Adams lamented.

Aside from this tragedy, Adams acknowledges that the rest of his children have done well in their chosen fields.

After retirement

Leaving the SAPS was not an easy decision, according to Adams. However, when the time came, he did so graciously.

“I will forever be an officer of the law at heart and therefore I have dedicated my time to still assist my community when they need my help. I advise them on what channels to follow and how to go about reporting crime, instead of taking the law into their own hands.”