The Defence Force Merit Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1982, for award to all ranks for extraordinarily excellent service and particular devotion to duty.Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution Act, 1977
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(Accessed 30 April 2015)

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force

The

Bophuthatswana Defence Force The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (; BDF) was established on 6 December 1977 from trainees of the South African Defence Force. It was the defence force of the Bophuthatswana, Republic of Bophuthatswana, a nominally independent bantustan during ...

(BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana Defence Force was amalgamated with six other military forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).Warrant of the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of the "UNITAS MEDAL-UNITAS-MEDALJE", Gazette no. 16087 dated 25 November 1994.

Institution

The Defence Force Merit Medal was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It is the middle award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Defence Force Merit Decoration and the Defence Force Commendation Medal. Bophuthatswana's military decorations and medals were modeled on those of the Republic of South Africa and these three decorations are the approximate equivalents of, respectively, the

Southern Cross Decoration The Southern Cross Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, is a South African military decoration for merit which was instituted by the Republic on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for outstanding service ...

and Pro Merito Decoration, the

Southern Cross Medal (1975) The Southern Cross Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters SM, is a South African military decorations, military decoration which was instituted by the South Africa, Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to officers of the South A ...

and

Pro Merito Medal (1975) The Pro Merito Medal of 1975, post-nominal letters PMM, is a South African military decorations, military decoration which was instituted by the South Africa, Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South A ...

, and the Military Merit Medal.

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to all ranks for extraordinarily excellent service and particular devotion to duty.

Order of wear

Since the Defence Force Merit Medal was authorised for wear by one of the statutory forces which came to be part of the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The Chief of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister of ...

on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993 ;Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994: Ribbon - Distinguished Gallantry Medal

*Official BDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Distinguished Gallantry Medal. ** Succeeded by the Marumo Medal, Class I. *Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Medal for Valour in the Prisons Service. ** Succeeded by the Medal for Merit in the Prisons Service. ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: Ribbon - Sandile Medal

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

(PMM) of the

Republic of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. ** Succeeded by the Sandile Medal (SM) of the Republic of Ciskei. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the National Intelligence Service Decoration, Silver of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Medal for Merit in the Prisons Service of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. The position of the Defence Force Merit Medal in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted in April 1996 for the two former non-statutory forces, the

Azanian People's Liberation Army The Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), formerly known as Poqo, was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress, an African nationalist movement in South Africa. In the Xhosa language, the word 'Poqo' means 'pure'. After attacks ...

and

Umkhonto we Sizwe uMkhonto weSizwe (; abbreviated MK; ) was the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC), founded by Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Sharpeville massacre. Its mission was to fight against the South African government to brin ...

, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description

;Obverse The Defence Force Merit Medal is a medallion struck in silver, 38 millimetres in diameter, with a six-pointed star with three rays between each pair of star points, surmounted by a silver leopard head on a light blue enamelled roundel in the centre. ;Reverse The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and cobalt blue, 32 millimetres wide, with a 12 millimetres wide dark blue band, an 8 millimetres wide dark yellow band and a 12 millimetres wide dark blue band.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Defence Force Merit Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals, state=autocollapse Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana Awards established in 1982 Awards disestablished in 1994 1982 establishments in Africa 1994 disestablishments in Africa