The Sandile Medal 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)

The Ciskei Defence Force

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 CD ...

(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 Medal, post-nominal letters SM, was instituted by the President of Ciskei in 1988. It is the middle award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the

Sandile Decoration 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.Chief C.D.F. Commendation Medal.South African Medals Website - Post-nominal Letters
(Accessed 1 May 2015) 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 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 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 medal 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 medal could be awarded to all ranks for meritorious service.

Order of wear

Since the Sandile 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 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.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, ;Ciskei Defence Force until 26 April 1994: *Official CDF order of precedence: Ribbon - Cross for Bravery

** Preceded by the Cross for Bravery (CCB). ** Succeeded by the Pro Merito Decoration (PMD). *Ciskei official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Service Star for Distinction (PSD). ** Succeeded by the Prisons Service Star for Merit (PSM). ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: Ribbon - Defence Force Merit Medal

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Defence Force Merit Medal of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. ** Succeeded by the Marumo Medal, Class I of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Medal for Merit in the Prisons Service of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. ** Succeeded by the Prisons Service Star for Merit (PSM) of the Republic of Ciskei. The position of the Sandile Medal 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. On both occasions, it remained unchanged, as it was on 27 April 1994.

Description

;Obverse The Sandile Medal 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, also without a raised rim, displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ciskei, with the silver hallmark impressed beneath. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide, with a 5 millimetres wide red band and a 9 millimetres wide white band, repeated in reverse order and separated by a 4 millimetres wide green band in the centre.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Sandile Medal 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 1988 establishments in South Africa Awards disestablished in 1994 1994 disestablishments in South Africa