Defence Force Merit Medal Explained

Defence Force Merit Medal
Presenter:	the State President
Country:	Bophuthatswana
Type:	Military decoration for merit
Eligibility:	All Ranks
Awarded For:	Extraordinarily excellent service and particular devotion to duty
Status:	Discontinued in 1994
Established:	1982
Precedence Label:	BDF pre-1994 & SANDF post-2002 orders of wear
Higher:	Distinguished Gallantry Medal Pro Merito Medal (1975)
Lower:	Marumo Medal, Class I Sandile Medal

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.^{[1] [2]}

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force (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).^{[3] [4]}

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.^[2]

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 and Pro Merito Decoration, the Southern Cross Medal (1975) and Pro Merito Medal (1975), and the Military Merit Medal.

Award criteria

The medal could be awarded to all ranks for extraordinarily excellent service and particular devotion to duty.^[2]

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 on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date.^{[5] [6]}

Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994:

• Official BDF order of precedence:
  • Preceded by the Distinguished Gallantry Medal.
  • Succeeded by the Marumo Medal, Class I.^[5]
• 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.^[5]

South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994:

• Official SANDF order of precedence:
  • Preceded by the Pro Merito Medal (1975) (PMM) of the Republic of South Africa.
  • Succeeded by the Sandile Medal (SM) of the Republic of Ciskei.^[5]
• 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.^[5]

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 and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.^[5]

Description

ObverseThe 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.^{[2] [7]}

ReverseThe reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

RibbonThe 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.^[7]

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Defence Force Merit Medal was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.^[4]

Notes and References

1. http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Bophuthatswana_Constitution.pdf Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution Act, 1977
2. http://www.geocities.ws/militaf/milbop.htm South African Medals Website - Bophuthatswana Defence Force
3. (Accessed 1 May 2015)
4. 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.
5. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005,
6. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993
7. Web site: Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) . 13 June 2014 . 23 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173748/http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/formerforcesmedals/bophuthatswana.htm . dead .