The Sandile Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the President of the Republic of Ciskei in 1988, for award to all ranks for meritorious service.Republic of Ciskei Constitution Act, no. 20 of 1981
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(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 28 April 2015)

The Ciskei Defence Force

The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) was established upon that country's independence on 4 December 1981. The Republic of Ciskei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Ciskei 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 Sandile Decoration, post-nominal letters SD, was instituted by the President of Ciskei in 1988. It is the senior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Sandile Medal and the Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal. Ciskei's military decorations and medals were modelled 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 Pro Merito Decoration, post-nominal letters PMD, is a military decoration for merit which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. It was awarded to other ranks of the South African Defence Force for outstanding servi ...

, the

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

and

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

, and the Military Merit Medal. The decoration was named after Chief

Mgolombane Sandile Mgolombane Sandile (1820–1878) was a ruler of the Right Hand House of the Xhosa Kingdom. A dynamic leader, he led the Xhosa armies in several of the Xhosa-British Wars. Having recently been equipped with modern fire-arms, Sandile's forces succ ...

, who had been declared as deposed and a fugitive by Major General Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith Bt GCB, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

, after he refused to attend a meeting with Smith outside Fort Cox in December 1850. Sandile subsequently besieged the fort and the 8th Cape Frontier War broke out, the longest and bloodiest of the frontier wars.The South African Military History Society - Military History Journal Vol 3 No 1, June 1974 - Sir Harry Smith, By Andrew L. Harington
(Access date 27 April 2015)
(Access date 27 April 2015)

Award criteria

The decoration could be awarded to all ranks for meritorious service.
(Accessed 1 May 2015)

Order of wear

Since the Sandile Decoration 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 Military, armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the Military branch, armed services. They are in turn a ...

on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the Sandile Decoration in the official order of precedence was revised twice after 1994, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first in April 1996, when decorations and medals were belatedly instituted 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 on ...

and Umkhonto we Sizwe, and again upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, ;Ciskei Defence Force until 26 April 1994: Ribbon - Cross for Gallantry

*Official CDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Cross for Gallantry (CCG). ** Succeeded by the Cross for Bravery (CCB). *Ciskei official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Sandile Decoration (SD) (Civilian Division). ** Succeeded by the Prisons Service Star for Excellence (PSE). ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Gold

Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Gold

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Distinguished Service Medal, Gold of the

Republic of Venda Venda () was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, which is fairly close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of the ...

. ** Succeeded by the

Van Riebeeck Medal The Van Riebeeck Medal, post-nominal letters VRM, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Union of South Africa in 1952. It was awarded to other ranks for distinguished service in the field. The South African military ...

(VRM) of the

Republic of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Distinguished Service Medal (SPO) of the Republic of Venda. ** Succeeded by the Prisons Service Star for Excellence (PSE) of the Republic of Ciskei. ;South African National Defence Force from April 1996: Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Gold

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Distinguished Service Medal, Gold of the Republic of Venda. ** Succeeded by the

Decoration for Merit in Gold The Decoration for Merit in Gold, post-nominal letters DMG, was instituted by the President of the Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congres ...

(DMG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Distinguished Service Medal (SPO) of the Republic of Venda. ** Succeeded by the Prisons Service Star for Excellence (PSE) of the Republic of Ciskei. The position of the Sandile Decoration in the official order of precedence remained unchanged upon the institution of a new set of honours on 27 April 2003.

Description

;Obverse The Sandile Decoration is a medallion struck in silver, 38 millimetres in diameter and without a raised rim, displaying the eagle emblem of the Ciskei Defence Force in a laurel wreath.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Ciskei Defence Force (CDF)
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ciskei. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and white, with 5 millimetres wide red edges and a 4 millimetres wide red band in the centre.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Sandile Decoration was discontinued when the Republic of Ciskei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Ciskei Awards established in 1988 Awards disestablished in 1994 1988 establishments in Africa 1994 disestablishments in Africa