The Defence Force Merit Decoration was instituted by the State President of the

Republic of Bophuthatswana Bophuthatswana (, meaning "gathering of the Tswana people"), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana ( tn, Riphaboliki ya Bophuthatswana; af, Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland"; an area set aside for mem ...

in 1982, for award to officers for distinguished service of high quality and utmost devotion to duty.Republic of Bophuthatswana Constitution Act, 1977
/ref>
(Accessed 30 April 2015)

The Bophuthatswana Defence Force

The

Bophuthatswana Defence Force The Bophuthatswana Defence Force ( af, Bophuthatswana Weermag; BDF) was established on 6 December 1977 from trainees of the South African Defence Force. It was the defence force of the Republic of Bophuthatswana, a nominally independent bantust ...

(BDF) was established upon that country's independence on 6 December 1977. The Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994 and the Bophuthatswana 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 Defence Force Merit Decoration was instituted by the State President of Bophuthatswana in 1982. It is the senior award of a set of three decorations for merit, along with the Defence Force Merit Medal and the Defence Force Commendation Medal. Bophuthatswana's military decorations and medals were modeled 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.

Award criteria

The decoration could be awarded to officers for distinguished service of high quality and utmost devotion to duty.

Order of wear

Since the Defence Force Merit 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 armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...

on 27 April 1994, it was accorded a position in the official South African order of precedence on that date. The position of the Defence Force Merit 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, Republic of South Africa Government Gazette no. 15093, Pretoria, 3 September 1993 ;Bophuthatswana Defence Force until 26 April 1994: Ribbon Distinguished Gallantry Cross

*Official BDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Distinguished Gallantry Cross. ** Succeeded by the Distinguished Gallantry Medal. *Bophuthatswana official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Police Cross for Bravery (RYGT). ** Succeeded by the Decoration for Merit in the Prisons Service. ;South African National Defence Force from 27 April 1994: PMDlint

Ribbon - Distinguished Service Medal, Gold

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

(PMD) 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 countr ...

. ** Succeeded 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 ...

. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the civilian version of the Sandile Decoration (SD) of the Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Decoration for Merit in the Prisons Service of the

. ;South African National Defence Force from April 1996: Ribbon Star for Conspicuous Leadership

*Official SANDF order of precedence: ** Preceded by the Star for Conspicuous Leadership (SCL) of the

. ** Succeeded by the Distinguished Service Medal, Gold of the Republic of Venda. *Official national order of precedence: ** Preceded by the civilian version of the Sandile Decoration (SD) of the Republic of Ciskei. ** Succeeded by the Decoration for Merit in the Prisons Service of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. The position of the Defence Force Merit Decoration 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 Defence Force Merit Decoration is an inverted five-pointed star, struck in silver, to fit inside a circle 38 millimetres in diameter, with three rays between each pair of star points and with a silver leopard head on a light blue enameled roundel in the centre.Uniform: SA Army: Former Forces Medals - Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF)
/ref> ;Reverse The reverse displays the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bophuthatswana. ;Ribbon The ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and cobalt blue.

Discontinuation

Conferment of the Defence Force Merit Decoration was discontinued when the Republic of Bophuthatswana ceased to exist on 27 April 1994.

References

{{South African military decorations and medals Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana Awards established in 1982