Unitas Medal
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The Unitas Medal was instituted by the President 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 ...
on 4 November 1994. It was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of all seven constituent military forces from 27 April 1994 to 10 May 1994, to commemorate their amalgamation into 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 ...
. It was also awarded to personnel of the British Military Advisory and Training Team which served in South Africa at the time.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.South African Medal Website - SA Defence Force : 1975-2003
(Accessed 30 April 2015)


The South African military

The Union Defence Forces (UDF) were established in 1912 and renamed the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1958. On 27 April 1994 it was integrated with six other independent forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
(Accessed 30 April 2015)


Institution

The Unitas Medal was instituted by the President on 4 November 1994 to commemorate the unification of defence forces and armed forces into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on 27 April 1994. The seven constituent military forces were: * The
South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Fo ...
(SADF). * The Transkei Defence Force (TDF) of the
Republic of Transkei Transkei ( , meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei (), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Bantustan for the Xhosa peopl ...
. * The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. * The Venda Defence Force (VDF) of the Republic of Venda. * The
Ciskei Defence Force The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) was established during March 1981 from the 141 Battalion of the South African Defence Force (SADF). It was the defence force of Ciskei, a bantustan that was controlled by the apartheid regime of South Africa. The ...
(CDF) of the Republic of Ciskei. *
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 ...
(MK), the military wing of the
African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...
. * 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 ...
(APLA), the military wing of the
Pan Africanist Congress The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, often shortened to the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), is a South African pan-Africanist national liberation movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert So ...
.South African Medal Website - Legal aspects - Fount of Honour
(Accessed 1 May 2015)


Award criteria

The Unitas Medal was awarded to all ranks who were on the active strength of these seven constituent military forces on 27 April 1994 and until at least 10 May 1994, and also to the President, the Minister of Defence and the Deputy Minister of Defence. Personnel of the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) who were serving in South Africa at the time, were subsequently also awarded the Unitas Medal.


Order of wear

The position of the Unitas Medal in the official order of precedence was revised on 27 April 2003, when a new set of awards was instituted.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, It changed again in 2010, when the Closure Commemoration Medal was instituted.61 Mech Battalion Group Veterans Association - RFCA - Closure Commemoration Medal
/ref> ;From 27 April 1994: * Official military order of precedence: ** Preceded by the
Military Rule Medal The Military Rule Medal was instituted by the State President of the Republic of Transkei to commemorate the bloodless 1987 military coup d'état which overthrew the Transkei government on 30 November 1987.
of the
Republic of Transkei Transkei ( , meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei (), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Bantustan for the Xhosa peopl ...
. ** Succeeded by the Medal for Distinguished Conduct and Loyal Service 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 ...
. * Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Military Rule Medal of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Police Service Amalgamation Medal of the Republic of South Africa. ;From 27 April 2003: * Official military order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Military Rule Medal of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Medalje vir Troue Diens and Bar, 50 years of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Military Rule Medal of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Police Service Amalgamation Medal of the Republic of South Africa. ;From 2010: * Official military order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Military Rule Medal of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Closure Commemoration Medal of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Military Rule Medal of the Republic of Transkei. ** Succeeded by the Police Service Amalgamation Medal of the Republic of South Africa.


Description

;Obverse The Unitas Medal is a medallion struck in bronze, 38 millimetres in diameter and 3 millimetres thick at the rim, displaying a seven-pointed star, charged with an embossed Greek lower case letter alpha within a circle. The star represents the seven constituent forces which formed the South African National Defence Force. ;Reverse The reverse displays the embellished pre-1994 South African coat of arms above the year inscription "1994" and the word "Unity" in ten official languages around the perimeter, from the top, "BONGWE", "BOTEE", "BUNYE", "EENHEID", "KOPANO", "UBUNYE", "UMANYANO", "UNITY", "VHUTHIHI" and "VUN'WE", all in relief. The medal number is impressed below the coat of arms and the year inscription. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with an 8 millimetres wide arctic blue band and a 4 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by an 8 millimetres wide spectrum green band.


Discontinuation

Conferment of the Unitas Medal was discontinued in respect of services performed on or after 10 May 1994 and the medal was officially discontinued on 27 April 2003.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 26778, Pretoria, 17 September 2004


References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of South Africa 1994 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1994