The Star of South Africa, Gold, post-nominal letters SSA, is the senior decoration of two military and five non-military classes of the

Order of the Star of South Africa The Order of the Star of South Africa is a South African National Order that consisted of seven decorations in two military and five non-military classes. The order was discontinued on 2 December 2002. Institution The Order of the Star of South ...

, a South African Order which was instituted in 1975, for award to general and flag officers of 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 F ...

. The Order of the Star of South Africa was discontinued in 2002.South African Medals Website - Post-nominal Letters
(Accessed 28 April 2015)

Background

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) after the end of

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

.South African Medals Website - SA Defence Force : 1952-1975
(Accessed 30 April 2015)
(Accessed 30 April 2015) Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1952-1975 Suid-Afrikaanse militêre dekorasies: 1975-2003Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 457, no. 25213, Pretoria, 25 July 2003
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Institution

The Star of South Africa, Gold, post-nominal letters SSA, was instituted by the State President on 1 July 1975, as the senior decoration of two military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa. The Order was named after the first large diamond to be found in South Africa, the Star of South Africa, which was found on the banks of the

Orange River The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north ...

in 1869 and which sparked the New Rush, leading to the establishment of Kimberley. The Order of the Star of South Africa was expanded on 17 October 1978, when a non-military division with decorations in five classes was instituted, for conferment on civilians and, from 1988, on senior police, prisons service and intelligence service officers, as well as foreign military attachés. The senior of these five non-military decorations, the Star of South Africa, Grand Cross, ranks on par with the Star of South Africa, Gold.

Award criteria

The Star of South Africa, Gold was awarded to general and flag officers of the

for meritorious military service which promoted SADF efficiency and preparedness and made a valuable contribution to national security. It replaced the Star of South Africa of 1952. In 1977, recipients of the Star of South Africa of 1952 were promoted to the new Order of the Star of South Africa, by being presented with the Star of South Africa, Gold in substitution of their existing decorations.City Coins, Cape Town - Postal Medal Auction 62 - Closing Date: 29 June 012 17:00 Hrs RSA. Lot 224, pp. 104-105.
(Accessed 9 May 2015)

Order of wear

The position of the Star of South Africa, Gold in the official order of precedence was revised three times after 1975, to accommodate the inclusion or institution of new decorations and medals, first upon the integration into the South African National Defence Force on 27 April 1994, again 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 finally with the institution of a new set of awards on 27 April 2003. ;South African Defence Force until 26 April 1994: SSASlint

*Official SADF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

Honoris Crux Gold The Honoris Crux Gold (Gold Cross of Honour), post-nominal letters HCG, is a South African military decoration for bravery which was instituted in 1975. It was awarded to members of the South African Defence Force for outstanding acts of brav ...

(HCG). ** Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS). *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG). ** Succeeded by the Order for Meritorious Service, Gold (OMSG).Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993 ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: SSASlint

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Honoris Crux Gold (HCG) 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 ...

. ** Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. ;South African National Defence Force from April 1996: Ribbon Star for Bravery in Gold

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG) of Umkhonto we Sizwe. ** Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 2003: SSASlint

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the

Nkwe ya Gauta The Nkwe ya Gauta - Golden Leopard, post-nominal letters NG, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted in 2003, to replace the Honoris Crux Gold (HCG). It is South Africa's highest military decoration for bravery.Presidential Wa ...

(NG) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS) of the Republic of South Africa. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Order of the Southern Cross, Gold (OSG) of the Republic of South Africa. ** Succeeded by the Order of the Leopard, Special Class Grand Cross of the Republic of Bophuthatswana.

Description

The Star of South Africa, Gold consists of five separate items. * A full size decoration with a neck chain. * A full size decoration with a neck ribbon. * A full size decoration with a smaller suspender, for mounting in a breast medal rack. * A miniature decoration for mess dress or formal evening dress. * A breast star. ;Obverse The Star of South Africa, Gold is a silver-gilt Maltese cross, with the arms in dark blue enamel, with protea flowers between the arms of the cross. Two four-pointed stars, superimposed on one another, are mounted on the cross. ;Reverse The reverse has the pre-1994 South African Coat of Arms. ;Ribbon and chain The decoration is worn around the neck on a dark blue ribbon, 35 millimetres wide. Until 1988, the Star of South Africa, Gold also had a gold neck chain for ceremonial occasions. ;Breast star Recipients also wear a gold breast star, with eight multi-rayed points, which displays the obverse of the decoration in its centre.

Discontinuation

The conferment of the Star of South Africa, Gold was discontinued on 6 December 2002, when a new set of national orders was instituted.

List of recipients

This is non-exhaustive list of the general and flag officers who were awarded the SSA in no chronological sequence: * Adm

Hugo Biermann Hugo Hendrik Biermann, (6 August 1916 – 27 March 2012) was a senior officer in the South African Navy. He served as Chief of the Navy from 1952 to 1972 and Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1972 until 1976, the only naval offi ...

- Chief of the SADF * Gen

Magnus Malan General Magnus André de Merindol Malan (30 January 1930 – 18 July 2011) was a South African military figure and politician during the last years of apartheid in South Africa. He served respectively as Minister of Defence in the cabinet of P ...

- Chief of the SADF * Gen

Constand Viljoen General Constand Laubscher Viljoen, (28 October 1933 – 3 April 2020) was a South African military commander and politician. He co-founded the Afrikaner Volksfront (Afrikaner People's Front) and later founded the Freedom Front (now F ...

- Chief of the SADF * Gen

Johannes Geldenhuys General Johannes Jacobus (Jannie) Geldenhuys, (5 February 1935 – 10 September 2018) was a South African military commander who served as Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1985 to 1990. Early life Geldenhuys was born in Kroonstad ...

- Chief of the SADF * Gen

Andreas Liebenberg General Andreas "Kat" Liebenberg, (18 April 1938 – 23 May 1998) was a South African military commander. He served as General Officer Commanding South African Special Forces (1982–85), Chief of the Army (1985–90) and Chief of the South A ...

- Chief of the SADF * Gen

Georg Meiring General Georg Meiring (born 18 October 1939) is a South African military commander. He served as Chief of the Army (1990–93) and Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993–98). Military career After obtaining a Master of Sci ...

- Chief of the SANDF * Gen

Siphiwe Nyanda General Siphiwe Nyanda (born 1950) is a former South African military commander and politician. He was a member of Umkhonto We Sizwe and served as Chief of the South African National Defence Force from 1998 to 2005, Minister of Communication ...

- Chief of the SANDF * V Adm Bert Bekker - Chief of Defence Force Staff * Lt Gen Denis Earp - Chief of the Air Force * Lt Gen

Ian Gleeson Lieutenant General Ian Rimbault Gleeson (15 August 19347 June 2021) was a South African Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff. He graduated from the Military Academy after attending Christian Brothers College in Pretoria and j ...

- Chief of Defence Force Staff * Lt Gen (Dr)

Nicolaas Nieuwoudt Lieutenant-General Nicolaas Nieuwoudt MBChB (19291989 ) was a South African military commander. A medical doctor, he joined the South African Air Force's medical branch in 1960, after five years private practise. He commanded the South Afri ...

- Surgeon General * V Adm

James Johnson James Johnson may refer to: Artists, actors, authors, and musicians *James Austin Johnson (born 1989), American comedian & actor, ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member *James B. Johnson (born 1944), author of science nonfiction novels *James P. John ...

- Chief of the Navy * Lt Gen Robert 'Bob' Rogers - Chief of the Air Force * Lt Gen (Prof) Heinrich de V. du Toit - Chief of Staff Intelligence * V Adm Ronald A. Edwards - Chief of the Navy * Lt Gen

Raymond Holtzhausen Lieutenant General Raymond Francois Holtzhausen (born 1934) is a retired South African Army general who formerly served as Chief of Staff Personnel before his retirement. Military career He served as Officer Commanding of South African Infantry ...

- Chief of Staff Personnel * Cmdt Piet Marais - Chairman of ARMSCOR 1976-1989

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Order of the Star of South Africa Military decorations and medals of South Africa 1975 establishments in South Africa Awards established in 1975