The launch of the book RAU TEM, which tells the life story of former police officer and special forces operator Roy Allen, centers on the notorious 1997 RAU murders of Prof. Johan Smit and his wife, Thea, a case in which Allen was previously identified as a suspect.
On 19 August 2026, Rau Tem, the book about Roy Allan’s life story, was launched during a special book launch and discussion in Centurion. The event not only celebrated the publication of the book but also offered insight into the years of research, interviews, personal memories and documentary material used to compile Roy Allan’s story.
During the discussion, it was explained that the creation of Rau Tem was a lengthy process. The author initially began developing a deeper understanding of Roy Allan’s life and experiences through conversations with people who knew him. As the research progressed, a variety of personal materials were obtained, including photographs, handwritten notes, documents and other valuable items preserved by Roy and his family.
This material played an important role in compiling the book. It not only helped confirm events and memories but also preserved details that might otherwise have been lost over time. The book is therefore more than simply a collection of memories; it is the result of an extensive effort to bring together different perspectives, testimonies and sources in order to create a more complete picture of Roy Allan’s life.
Interviews with family members and other people who knew Roy during different stages of his life further contributed to the development of the story. Since Roy did not necessarily document or recount every aspect of his life in full, certain parts of his story had to be reconstructed through the memories of others and the available documentary material. This process highlighted the importance of examining a life story from multiple sources.
Several important events from Roy Allan’s life were discussed and placed within the broader context of his personal history. One of the topics that received particular attention was the polygraph testing Roy underwent during the early months of 2020. It was discussed that he underwent the test on two occasions and that the results, as well as the circumstances surrounding the tests, form an important part of the story documented in the book.
The discussion also provided an explanation of the polygraph process and how physiological responses are measured through sensors and the resulting information interpreted. This aspect of Roy Allan’s story forms part of the broader series of events and experiences explored in Rau Tem.
The road to publication was not without its challenges. The manuscript was developed over an extended period and submitted to several publishers before eventually finding its way to publication. Despite the time and difficulties involved, the story was further refined and developed until the completed book became a reality.
The book launch ultimately provided an important opportunity not only to introduce Rau Tem to readers but also to acknowledge the extensive work behind its compilation. The discussion emphasised the value of personal memories, family testimonies, photographs, documents and other sources in preserving an individual’s life story.
Rau Tem therefore stands as a record of Roy Allan’s life and of the people, events and experiences that shaped it. Above all, the book is an attempt to preserve a meaningful story for future readers—a story that was ultimately assembled over many years through the contributions of different people and the careful study of personal material.
The launch in Centurion was therefore not merely a celebration of a new book but also an acknowledgement of the importance of documenting stories before their details are lost. Rau Tem gives readers the opportunity to discover and preserve Roy Allan’s life story through a collection of memories, testimonies and historical material.
