The Cross for Bravery was instituted by the State President of the

Republic of Transkei A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, for award to all ranks as a decoration for bravery.South African Medal Website - Transkei Defence Force
(Accessed 30 April 2015)Republic of Transkei Constitution Act, 1976, Act no. 15 of 1976
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The Transkei Defence Force

The

Transkei Defence Force The Transkei Defence Force (TDF) was established during March 1981, from the 141 Battalion of the South African Defence Force (SADF). It was the defence force of the Republic of Transkei, a nominally independent bantustan during the Apartheid e ...

(TDF) was established upon that country's independence on 26 October 1976. The Republic of Transkei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Transkei 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 Cross for Bravery was instituted by the State President of Transkei. While the decoration is known to have been instituted and possibly awarded, no warrant has yet been traced and, as a result, the exact date of institution is not known. The decoration is considered as Transkei's approximate equivalent of South Africa's

Honoris Crux (1975) The Honoris Crux (Cross of Honour) of 1975, post-nominal letters HC, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa on 1 July 1975. The decoration was awarded to members of the South African Defence F ...

Award criteria

The decoration could be awarded to all ranks as a military decoration for bravery.

Order of wear

Since the Cross for Bravery 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 order of precedence was revised 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. ;Transkei Defence Force until 26 April 1994: Rbn TDF Cross for Bravery

* Official TDF order of precedence: ** Succeeded by the Defence Force Medal. * Transkei official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Prisons Service Gallantry Cross. ** Succeeded by the Order of Transkei, Class IV, Officer (OT). ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: Ribbon Gallantry Cross, Silver

* Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Gallantry Cross, Silver (GCS) 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

Pro Virtute Decoration The Pro Virtute Decoration, post-nominal letters PVD, is a military decoration for bravery which was instituted by the Republic of South Africa in 1987. It was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force for distinguished conduct an ...

(PVD) 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 SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Gallantry Cross, Silver (GCS) of the Republic of Venda. ** Succeeded by the Bravery Star in Silver (BSS) of the

. * Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the KwaZulu Department of Correctional Services Cross for Gallantry (CPV). ** Succeeded by the Civil Defence Medal for Bravery of the Republic of South Africa.Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, The position of the Cross for Bravery in the order of precedence remained unchanged, as it was in April 1996, when a new series of military orders, decorations and medals was instituted in South Africa on 27 April 2003.

Description

;Obverse The Cross for Bravery is a convex cross, struck in silver and 38 millimetres in diameter, displaying in the centre a blue crane inside a red roundel, which is inscribed "FOR BRAVERY" at the top and has a wreath of leaves at the bottom. ;Reverse The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Transkei. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and red, with a 2 millimetres wide white band 2 millimetres from each edge.Ciskei (sic) Medal for Bravery Full size
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Discontinuation

Conferment of the Cross for Bravery was discontinued when the Republic of Transkei ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Transkei