Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: African Detective Station Sergeant I. M. R. Marotwatsanga, British South Africa Police

War Medal 1939-45; Colonial Police Forces L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (10876 Afr./Det.1/Sgt. Mushawato, B.S.A.P.); Colonial Police Forces Medal for Meritorious Service, E.II.R., 2nd issue (10876 African Det. Stat. Sgt. Isaac M. B. Marowatsnaga, B.S.A. Police), one or two minor official corrections, contact marks, nearly very fine or better (3) £400-450

Isaac Mushawato Badze Marotwatsanga was born in Mrewa District in November 1919 and enlisted in the British South Africa Police in October 1941. Clearly a very capable detective, he went on to enjoy a long and distinguished career, winning a Special Commendation from the Commissioner of Police for good work in arresting four ‘hardened thieves’ in the Hatfield area of Salisbury in 1946 - a full account of his deeds was published in Mapolisa and describes how he lay in wait to round them up over two or three nights (copy of feature included). So, too, a Commendation in the following year for the conviction of another thief, and a brace of favourable endorsements on his service record for investigating arson attacks in the Enkeldoorn area and for good work on a number of crime reports in the Hartley area in the mid-1960s.

Awarded his Colonial Police Forces L.S. & G.C. in August 1960, and his Meritorious Service Medal in January 1964, he was also entitled to the St. John Service Medal, which award was approved back in November 1943. Marotwatsanga retired in April 1967; sold with full research, including copied extracts from Mapolisa and Outpost, with portrait photographs.