South African Police Special Constable Shoulder Flash. South Africa.

Special Constable - Spesiale Konstabel (called Kitskonstabels = Instant Constables in Afrikaans).
Special Constables were recruited from urban and rural areas and were usually unemployed African men with few educational qualifications.
Training started on 1 September 1986 at the SAP's Koeberg facility outside Cape Town and consisted of a six-week course, later increased to three months.
The training was perfunctory and involved only one seven-hour course in riot drill.
They were employed to do foot patrols in the township.
Their task was to maintain a police visibility in the townships and to restore law and order.
Initially issued with a distinctive blue overall with the South African Police (SAP) emblem and words Special Constable - Spesiale Konstabel on the pocket.
1988 the uniform changed to the same blue but in field dress.
In about late 1989 they started wearing the same grey field dress uniforms as the SAP, but with shoulder flashes to identify them as Special Constables.
The name later first changed to Special Constable Unit and finally to Police Assistant.
Before 1994 they were fully amalgamated into the South African Police after completion of training.