The Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President of the
Republic of South Africa in April 1996. It was awarded to veteran cadres of 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 ...
, the military wing of the
Pan Africanist Congress
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)) is a South African national liberation Pan-Africanist movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert Sobukwe, that ...
, for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty during the "struggle".
[South African Medal Website - Liberation armies](_blank)
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
Azanian People's Liberation Army
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 ...
(APLA) was the para-military wing of the
Pan Africanist Congress
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)) is a South African national liberation Pan-Africanist movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert Sobukwe, that ...
(PAC). It was established in 1961 to wage an armed "struggle" against the Nationalist government inside South Africa. On 27 April 1994, the Azanian People's Liberation Army 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 Silver Medal for Merit, post-nominal letters SMM, was instituted by the President in April 1996. It is the middle award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the
Gold Decoration for Merit and the
Bronze Medal for Merit.
[South African Medal Website - Post-nominal Letters](_blank)
(Accessed 28 April 2015)
The Azanian People's Liberation Army's military decorations and medals were modelled on those of the South African Defence Force 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.
Award criteria
The decoration could be awarded to veteran cadres of the Azanian People's Liberation Army for exceptionally meritorious service and particular devotion to duty during the "struggle".
Order of wear
The position of the Silver Medal for Merit in the official military and national orders of precedence was revised 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, ][Presidential Warrant by the President of the Republic of South Africa for the Institution of Honours for Bravery in the South African National Defence Force, Gazette no. 25213 dated 25 July 2003.]
;Azanian People's Liberation Army:
![Ribbon - Bronze Medal for Merit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Ribbon_-_Bronze_Medal_for_Merit.png)
*Official APLA order of precedence:
** Preceded by the
Gold Decoration for Merit (GDM).
** Succeeded by the
Bronze Medal for Merit (BMM).
;South African National Defence Force until 26 April 2003:
![DTMlint](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Ribbon_-_Danie_Theron_Medal.gif)
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the
Merit Medal in Silver (MMS) of
Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the
Danie Theron Medal
The Danie Theron Medal, post-nominal letters DTM, is a military decoration which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1970 and which was in use until 1993. It was awarded for diligent service in the Commandos, the rural defence com ...
(DTM) of the
Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Merit Medal in Silver (MMS) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the Correctional Services Medal for Merit, Non-Commissioned Officers of the Republic of South Africa.
;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003:
![Ribbon - Silver Medal for Merit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Ribbon_-_Silver_Medal_for_Merit.png)
*Official SANDF order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Merit Medal in Silver (MMS) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the
iPhrothiya yeSiliva (PS) of the Republic of South Africa.
*Official national order of precedence:
** Preceded by the Merit Medal in Silver (MMS) of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
** Succeeded by the iPhrothiya yeSiliva (PS) of the Republic of South Africa.
Description
;Obverse
The Silver Medal for Merit was struck in silver, to fit in a circle 38 millimetres in diameter. It depicts the Azanian People's Liberation Army emblem in a dark blue enameled roundel, in the centre of a five-pointed starburst of radiating points.
[Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (APLA)](_blank)
/ref>
;Reverse
The reverse displays the embellished pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms.
;Ribbon
The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and dark blue, with two 6 millimetres wide white bands in the centre, spaced 4 millimetres apart.
Discontinuation
Conferment of the Silver Medal for Merit was discontinued upon the institution of a new set of South African honours on 27 April 2003.
References
{{South African military decorations and medals
Military decorations and medals of Azanian People's Liberation Army
Awards established in 1996
Awards disestablished in 2003
1996 establishments in South Africa
2003 disestablishments in South Africa